The Road to Nami Muro
by The Space Port Seven Crew
Summary: This is an excellent role played story by Ootzer and Arrow Tibbs.
1. A Crash Landing

Disclaimer: We don't own Titan AE, we don't own the species in it, we don't own Pepsi. However, we do own our characters, and our species we have created. This is a roleplay-made-story. No stealing our characters (my rabid beavers are hungry *hint hint*), and no suing us, we aren't making any money off of this.BRBR  
  
Copyrights: In order of appearance  
BR  
Vlah'do, Karn, Bild, Sovwren, etc, Habbek, Pacal, and the entire court, the igonian species, the squemetan species, Tahu-Dazu, and the the city's name are (C) Ootzer 2001BR  
Azure, Hoth, Hikori, Lirpa, Iris, Yavin, and the rest of the ArchAngel crew are copyright (C) Arrow Tibbs 2001BR  
Rekk is copyright (C) Rekk 2001BRBR  
  
The Road to Nami Muro  
BRBR  
  
New Earth didn't turn out as was planned. The planet itself was much larger than old Earth making the times longer than people where used to. A normal day was thirty-two hours long, and a year was four hundred four days long. The atmosphere wasn't fully conditioned, and the entire planet was hotter than normal, which made it so only the plants adapted to that climate could survive. Basically, from the equator to almost right next to the poles the planet was jungle. More of the planet was water than the old Earth, there were five oceans and nine seas; only about one third of New Earth was land. BRBR  
  
Vlah'do, an Akrennian, and Karn, an Igonian waded to shore after having apparently taken a swim. Vlah'do was coughing and choking and spitting water while Karn quietly stood beside him and offered any assistance he could. They walked ashore and looked around. They were on a shore that met a plain that slowly turned to forest.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do was the first to speak, "We managed to escape with our lives..."BR  
Karn laughed at this.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do frowned, "I'm serious."BR  
"You thought you were going to drown back there?" Karn asked.BR  
"Yes!" Was the responce.BR  
"Well, you might have had it not been for the emergency escape hatch," Karn smiled sarcastically.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do was clearly not amused. "We cant just head out like this, we need some supplies. The IVoid Sprite/I is designed to be less dense than water, it should float to the surface. That's where you come in."BR  
"You want me to swim out to the ship and get some stuff?" BR  
Vlah'do paused, thinking. "No, I want you to take me out there and I'll get the things we need. Is that going to be too hard?"BR  
Karn rubbed his hands together, "No problem at all. You can swim right?" he smiled, "I'll just grab you if you start to go down for the third time."BR  
"Not funny."BR  
"I can see the ship over there."BR  
Vlah'do looked out to sea, "I see it. Let's go."BRBR  
  
Vlah'do and Karn dove in and swam about three hundred meters to the ship, where he and Karn did a series of dives into the half-submerged space ship, and eventually were able to salvage a small black case and two large backpacks, along with various other items. Including a large knife, a blaster and Vlah'do's wallet.BR  
Vlah'do sat on the Sea Sprite's hull and caught his breath.BRBR  
  
"Are you ready?" Karn asked.BR  
Vlah'do was breathing heavily, "One sec... This is why I brought you along, to help me get this stuff back."BR  
Karn snorted, "Oh come on. It's maybe two hundred meters away from the beach!"BR  
Vlah'do frowned, "Hey! I'm not as... bouyant as you."BR  
"Granted, but still, swimming is a skill that you have to have."BR  
"Maybe on Tahu-Dzo pal, but on P'Lochda's space platforms there isn't barely enough water for you to take a bath in."BR  
"Well, no better time like the present to learn how."BRBR  
  
Karn gracefully dove in the water with the case and a back-pack and was ten meters away before Vlah'do was even able to get his pack on. The akrennian jumped in.BR  
After jumping in, he sank under the water and was unable to get to the surface. He tried to unfasten the pack but one of the waist straps got caught on his belt.BR  
Vlah'do managed only to get his head above water and gasp out, "Karn... Help!"  
BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure leaned on the console and sighed, murmering along with the song on the ArchAngel's speakers. She was so jaded. "Hoth, I can't believe you keep leaving open gaps between shipments...A month?" BRBR  
  
"YOU'RE complaining about NOT having work?" Hoth cocked his head incredulously. "That's a first." His eyeridges raised as he nodded slowly.BR  
Azure shrugged. "Well, at least we'd be doing something...."BR  
"I thought you LIKED a lazy period, what's the universe coming to? Azure, do you feel alright?" Hoth put a hand to Azure's forehead in a joking immitation of a human mother.BRBR  
  
Azure frowned at her mate and looked back out the veiwport. "I'm just bored to death...Pepsi hasn't kicked in yet..."BR  
Hoth's ears swiveled for a moment, as if making a decision, before moving up. He patted Azure's ears fondly and looked out the veiwport. Suddenly he stood up and leaned closer to the thick glass. "What's that...?" He muttered.BR  
Azure's ears perked and she craned her neck to see. "What? Where?"BR  
"There! See!" Hoth pointed at a specific point beyond the ArchAngel's nose. He keyed in the area into the computer and got a magnifide image. The pair looked at each other for a moment before bolting towards the huge cargo bay, and the skiff. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn had not heard Vlah'do's cry for help, but turned in time to see him sinking into the depths, being dragged down by the pack tangled in his belt. He swam frantically over to him and grabbed him underneath the arms and tried to pull him to the surface. After struggling with the load, he drew a knife and cut the strap of the backpack and sent it hurtling to the depths below. Karn did his best to keep Vlah'do's head above the water, but it wouldn't have mattered because he had stopped breathing.BRBR  
Completely unexpectedly, a skiff pulled up along side Karn as he dragged the limp body of Vlah'do through the water. BRBR  
  
Azure smiled slightly, "Need a lift?" Azure and Hoth helped Karn drag the lifeless form of Vlah'do out of the water and sprawled him across the deck of the small boat. BRBR  
  
"What happened?" Hoth asked, looking at Vlah'do with worry written on his face even though he didn't even know Vlah'do.BR  
Karn stammered, "He - he was drowning." He quickly got to work. He knew what to do, but didn't know how to do it to an Akrennian. Where was his lungs? Where would he have to press to get him breathing again? There was no time for second thoughts, so Karn started CPR the best he could.BRBR  
  
Azure yelled to her mate, "Hoth, go get a first aid kit!"  
  
Hoth swiftly went to the bow of the skiff to retrieve one from the compatment there as Karn desperately struggled to get Vlah'do to breathe. He was not succeding.BRBR  
  
Azure shook her head rapidly, "Nono, its right... HERE!" Azure practiacally struck Vlah'do in the stomach with the palm of her hand. A promising cough escaped Vlah'do's mouth as well as a lot of water. Karn looked at Azure with amazement as Vlah'do came around. He propped up Vlah'do's head and the water drained from his mouth all over the floor of the boat. BR  
Hoth returned with a small metal box with a red cross on it. BRBR  
  
Azure waved a hand at him, "No need Hoth, he's coming around nicely..."BR  
Hoth grumbled, "Always sending me on stupid errands..."BR  
Karn saw Vlah'do slowly coming around. "Yeah, hes going to be fine. But tell me, where did you guys come from?"  
"We were out over those mountains over there and picked you p on our scopes," Hoth said over his shoulder as he headed for the bow again.BR  
"I guess that we're really lucky..." Karn said. Vlah'do coughed and stirred.BRBR  
  
"So tell me, what are you two doing in the middle of the ocean? Is that your ship over there?" Azure asked.BR  
Karn nodded, "Yeah, we hit some bad weather landing. There was a sulphur storm and we got damaged and crashed. But the ship remained intact and we went back to get some supplies and he started to drown on the way back. We're headed to Nami Muro."  
Hoth raised an eyeridge, "You're pretty off course. Nami Muro is a long way."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Rekk walked down into the cargo bay. "Been lookin for you guies everywhe-..." He stopped and looked around, the bay empty.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
  
Vlah'do woke and groaned, the floor of the skiff obviously wasn't that soft, "What... where am I?"  
Karn looked down at him, "Try not to move to much Vlah'do, you swallowed a lot of seawater."  
"Tell me about it. I think I may have lowered the sea level a little. Man, no need to worry about global warming any more." Vlah'do said, looking up at Hoth and Azure. "Whoa, who are you?"BRBR  
  
"We're from the ship over there, The IArchAngel/I." Azure jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm Azure." She grinned, holding out a hand.BR  
"Hoth." Hoth nodded his his head in greeting. BRBR  
  
Vlah'do accepted Azure's hand and thought she was trying to help him up. When he pulled, she fell on top of him. They both scrambled to their feet, embarrased.BR  
"Err, excuse me." Vlah'do said, flattening his ears.BR  
Hoth snickered as Vlah'do shook his and Azure's hands with an embaressed look. "Ummm, I'd like to thank you for... saving me. But tell me, what happened? How did I... did you get here?"BRBR  
  
Karn vollunteered an explaination, "You got dragged down and I dragged you to the surface and when I was going back to shore their boat pulled up. How did you guys get here?"BR  
"We were over those mountains and saw your ship, and you trying to fish with your mouth, so we lowered the skiff and here we are." Hoth smiled.BR  
Azure locked her eyes on the igonian and other akrennian. "I have some things I'd like to know, but first, please introduce yourselves."BRBR  
  
"I am Karn, an igonian from Tahu-Dzo. I am a diplomat sent to negotiate an animal release treaty." Karn said.BR  
Vlah'do smiled and bowed elegantly. "And I am Vlah'do of Kodah. Humble servant to my father's whims. He sent me with Karn to this planet. Why he chose me I dont know, I think he had some alterior motive behind it because I see no reason why I had to come and not..."BR  
Karn cut in with, "But that's not important. I'm sure that your father's intentions are soley for your benefit. Like he says, we can learn a lot from the humans."BR  
Vlah'do looked surprised. "How do you know so much about my old man?BR  
Karn smiled, "You aren't the only one who wondered through space for years. Before you were even a conception your father met my father who was also a diplomat. I vaguely remember meeting him in my childhood just after he married your mother and became a Kodah. "BR  
"Wow, you know more about my dad than I do." Vlah'do said, clearly amazed.BR  
Hoth spoke up, "Well, this is all very heart warming, but we left our ship unattended and Rekk inside. I think we'd better return to it before he does something..."  
Azure put out a hand to stop her mate's line of speech, "Now wait Hoth, let's see if we can help these poor guys a little more huh? Now what can we do to help you guys out?"BR  
Vlah'doery amiabley* "You gave me my life, what more can I ask?"BR  
Azure smiled, "How about we take you to shore?"BR  
Karn chuckled. "That'd be fine."BRBR  
  
The skiff headed to the not so distant shore with the sun setting on the horizon. With the sky a dark blue, the ship hit the sandy shore. BRBR  
  
Vlah'do hopped off the skiff, "Well, thanks for the lift. I'll just get my stuff and we can be off."BR  
"I have your small black case and your pack. What's in them?" Karn asked.BR  
Vlah'do looked at him, "The pack has some stuff that we might need along the way, like a first aid kit and tools and such. The case has my sax in it."BR  
Karn looked confused, "Sax?"BR  
Vlah'do clarified, "Alto Saxophone. It's a musical instrument."BR  
"You'll have to show me later. By the way, what was in that pack you had with you?"BR  
Vlah'do looked startled. "Where is that pack?"BR  
Kanr shrugged, "I cut if from your belt when you started going down."BR  
"The food was in there!" Vlah'do shouted, as he other three laughed.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do frowned, "I'm serious, now we don't have anything to eat along the way."BR  
Azure shook her head and waved a hand with a smile, "No need to worry, we've got some stuff you can take with you."BR  
"Hope you like Pepsi..." Hoth murmered quietly to Karn and Vlah'do.BR  
Just then, a voice from someone on shore hidden laughed, "What have we here?"BRBR  
  
Two mantrins stepped out of the bushes followed by a motley group of assorted races including squemetan and human, all heavily armed. The lead mantrin was a burley male with a large scar across his left forearm. His ears were a little torn and a large band covered one in a rebelious way. He wielded a large katana. The female behind him was just as threatening. She carried a double bladed sword with a large hilt and very exquisitly detailed blade. There were no akrennians among them.BRBR  
  
The lead mantrin smirked, "Looks like four able-bodied creatures. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Bild..."BR  
The second mantrin scowled at him, "And don't you dare forget about me this time. It gives me a bad image when we depart unaquainted."BR  
Bild gave her a slightly annoyed glance, "I was just getting to you me beauty. This is Sovwren, my mate. We run this ship o'er yonder."BR  
Hoth's ears shot up as his eyes widened, "Pirates!"BR  
A squemetan in the back of the group spoke up, "We don't like the term "pirates", we perfer "privateering corsairs"." The group laughed at this, as they slowly circled the group and soon had them surrounded. BRBR  
  
Azure lay her ears back, glaring. "What do YOU want? We haven't got anything of value!" She growled, holding out her arms to show them she had nothing. BRBR  
  
"I might be wantin that blaster o' yours." Bild smiled, holding out a hand. "'And it over."BRBR  
  
Azure let her shoulders sag and unbuckled her blaster, muttering under her breath, as she reached behind her to unclip the buckle she flicked a comm at Hoth, landing it behind her leg. She grasped the belt of her holster and held it out with a scowl. "Fine, TAKE THE THING! UGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Azure growled lowly.BRBR  
  
Hoth reached out with a leg and slid it towards himself, Azure began to make a big fuss over giving up her blaster, purposely attracting attention to herslf. Hoth carefully manuvered the comm towards Karn, motioning for him to take it behind his back. "Call for help." He hissed between his teeth. BRBR  
  
An annoyed Azure had by now departed with her ear cuff, she made a very big deal about it, trying to buy time until the IArchAngel/I could give them some cover. She wasn't worried about her blaster, it had had a low charge when she'd last checked so the pirates would get maybe six shots out of it. BRBR  
  
Karn didn't know what to do with the comm, but he studied it very carefully before pressing a button. A crackling sound issued from the small box in his hands. He tried not to look at it and keep it concealed in his hands, but he really didn't know what to do. He whispered into it, "Hello? Is anyone there? We need help fast!" After a few seconds with no reply, Karn started to despair.BRBR  
  
Bild looked over Azure's blaster, "This thing is no good. It's so low on energy, I'll wager I could only get 5 shots with it. Oh well, one of you need a blaster?" He threw the blaster to one of his crew members.BRBR  
  
The squemeta that had spoken up earlier stepped forward and walked over to Vlah'do, "I recognize you."BR  
Vlah'do blinked, "You do? Where from?"  
The squemeta replied, "Next week's obituaries." The crew again laughed. Akrennians and Squemetan had a long standing territorial feud that had gone on for decades.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do glared, "I remember you. You took that university class with me. Advanced Astro-physics, remember?"BR  
The squemeta thought for a moment, "So I did. What was your name again?"BR  
"Vlah'do of Kodah." Vlah'do didn't know it, but it was customary for squemeta to always get to know their victims if they had something mailicious in mind. He smiled evily.BRBR  
  
Bild cackled, "That's Wandrin, the first mate. You'd better get to know him because you'll be spending quite some time with him in the slave hold!"BRBR  
  
Now the customary greetings were complete and Wandrin stepped closer to Vlah'do. He motioned to two other Squemetan and they grabbed Vlah'do's arms and held him as Wandrin frisked Vlah'do. His search yielded a small knife. Upon finding it he threw it in the sand and punched Vlah'do in the stomach. With that he turned away and released him. BRBR  
  
Wandrin snarled, "If you don't watch it, I'm going to slit your throat with this!" He picked up Vlah'do's short knife.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
A voice came in quietly through the comm.  
  
"Hello? Who's this?" It was Rekk.BRBR  
  
Karn quietly whispered back, "Azure, Hoth, Vlah'do and I are being held up, bring the ship and get us out of this!"BR  
Rekk sounded confused, "Azure, Hoth and who? Okay, I'm coming."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Rekk walked in circles for a minute. "Aaaaah, @#%$. Okay.. bring the ship... briiing the ship.." He stared at the incomprehensible controls. "Yyyeah..." BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure snarled in fury, tensing as if ready to lunge at the squemeta. "Leave 'im alone, crackerjack! Pick on someone your OWN size!" Hoth grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. Don't piss these guys off, Az. He mentally begged. Azure continued to growl, her short fur bristled. BRBR  
  
"Looks like we've got a fiesty one here, guys." One of the crew smirked, gaining a few snickers from his crewmates. BR  
Azure uttered a sharp oath in Akrennian aimed at the particular crewmember. Hoth's ears flicked back and forth before flattening. BRBR   
  
Wandrin was surprised to say the least. Squemetan had earned a reputation for being excellent fighters. Trying to land a punch on a squematen was like hitting a brick wall because of their hard skeleton and carapace. Either this akrennian was ignorant, really brave or just stupid. Nonetheless, he didn't like it. Sovwren saw his concern and pulled a crew member close to him. "Listen, I want you to put those akrennians in chains. Don't waist your time with that... other one."BR  
The conscript looked confused. "Chains my lady?"BR  
"Yes Chains you blithering fool! Put them in chains!"BR  
"Errr, I dont think we have any my lady."BR  
"No chains? Bild, did you forget them again?"BRBR  
  
Bild turned to Sovwren. "Yes darling, I forgot them. Never fear, we have them outgunned and outnumbered."BR  
Sovwren kicked Bild lightly on the thigh. "You Dunderhead! We should always tie them when we take them to the ship!"BR  
Bild started to look anoyed. "I'll take care of it my dear. Don't worry."BR  
Sovwren gave him an malevolent glance and then looked away. She pointed her sword at Azure and motioned her to one side. "You, get over there." She pointed to Hoth. "You, over there."BRBR  
  
Azure snarled. "Who thinks I'm going to LISTEN to YOU? Eh?" She was answered by the sword's tip pressing against her neck. BRBR  
  
"I WILL cut off your head if I have to, AKRENNIAN." Sovwren glared.BRBR  
  
"Azure, just do what she says." Hoth said, scowling at her. "Want to get us ALL killed?"BRBR  
  
Azure grumbled under her breath and complied, grumbling all the way. "FINE!" BRBR  
  
Bild started to grow impatient. "All right, lets get on wif it then. What do you say we do wid em sweety?" BR  
Sovwren looked at Bild moderately irrated. "Dont Patronize me." She muttered. "All right. I say we take me back to the ship and sell em as slaves after collecting any valuables we can. Crew! Four to a man and make sure they dont get away or it'll be your parasite-ridden hide!" Fortunately for them, they hadn't seen either of the ships floating in the water.BRBR  
  
Night had now fallen casting an eerie blue tint over the land. A particularly unkept mantrin from the crew approached Karn as the others were surrounded and taken. Behind him were three others. Karn could tell that he held higher status by the roguish pendant that swung casualy from his right ear and his authorative gait. BR"What have we here?" He said gruffly. "Looks like a tree skipper I once ate." which earned him a few laughs from his cohorts.BR  
Karn panicked. He had the comm in his hands and knew he had to hide it before the pirates saw it. His mind raced for the perfect hiding place.BR  
A squemata in group saw Karn put his head down and put his hands to his mouth. "Hey! What are you doing there?"BR Karn swallowed and looked up, deciding it was better not to answer the question.BR  
The lead matrin cut in. "Okay, thats enough. Get him, and stay on him." He was surrounded and felt a blaster placed against his head. They lead him back to the main group and the mantrin approached Wandrin. "You see thisn's legs are so short and his arms are really weak. He's won't be much of a slave, he too weak." BRBR  
  
Just keep telling yourslef that scum... He thought as he slowly reached into a hidden pocket he had sewn in his shorts and fingered his long, meanly curved Nautilaus knife. BR  
With a flick of his wrist, he had the knife out and against the lead Mantrin's throat. In a quiet voice he whispered into his ear. "Don't make a sound mantrin. I'd just as soon kill you as look at you." The mantrin froze as his head tipped back slighty and Karn applied pressure. "Now, back away slowly with me. That's it, no false moves."BR  
Wandrin saw what was happening and withdrew a blaster.BR  
Karn, who had backed away from the rest of the group yelled out to him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you! I'll slide my knife across his throat!"BR  
Wandrin kep his cool. "You know that from here I have a very clear shot at your head."BR  
"You wouldn't risk it! Besides, don't you know that upon recieving a fatal injury, the muscles spasm and contract! If you shot me you'd be killing us both."BR  
Bild obviously had some favor for this crew member. "Do as he says Wandrin. We dont want to loose poor old Vadhis."BR  
Wandrin turned to him angrily. "You're just saying that because he is a mantrin too."BR  
Bild waved his Katana at Wandrin angrily. "I'm the captain here and I say who does what! Leave him alone is what I say!"BR  
Sovwren shouted over the argument. "You fools! They're getting away!"BR  
Karn and Vadhis were gone. BRBR  
  
Karn was on prone behind a bush. He had struggled Vadhis to the ground with the knife still at his throat and his face in the sand. The rest of the crew was still lingering around the Azure Hoth and Vlah'do. There seemed to be some sort of argument going on. Karn was utterly terrified but kep his cool and continued to utter threats into Vahdis's ear. BR  
"One false move mantrin, and you die! Don't cross me scum, or I'll slid this blade across your ugly neck!" Karn was not a violent person but he deemed it necessary to intimidate Vadhis because he was probably a lot stronger than him and if he ever get between him and the knife he wouldn't stand a chance.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild was waving his katana in the air angrily and shaking it at Wandrin in a violent fashion. "You scurvy rat! Are you asking me to abandon one of my crew?!"BR  
Wandrin calmly eyed the captain but kept his hand near his blaster. "Captain, if you'll look at it logically..."BR  
"One of my crew is in danger and you want me to just leave him here on this forsaken planet?!?" He spat in the ground at Wandrin's feet. BR  
Sovwren grabbed the quivering katana from Bild and threw it on the ground. "You fool! He's right. So what if he's a fellow mantrin? That... thing was really scrawny too, wouldn't make a decent slave. And now we have one less person to worry about."BR  
Bild bent down unceremoniously to retrive his blade and grumbled under his breath. "Its just that it makes me look bad, sweet heart. Leaving one of my crew..."BR  
"Why are you always so worried about your image?" She booted him lightly in the haunches as he bent over. Some of the crew sniggered. She waved her sword threateningly at them. "Don't laugh or I'll kick ALL of your sorry tails! Get them under your thumbs! Hop to it!" BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn hid under the bushes as the large group trudged off into the night leaving him and Vadhis alone on the beach. BRBR  
  
After some time had passed, Karn started to set up a camp. Not knowing what else to do, he had looked through Vlah'do's bag and found some food. He hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning. He kept Vadhis under his constant scruteny, always making him sit down so that he was at the advantage even though he had a knife.   
Karn had found one of his favorite foods in the bag, took it out and started to prepare it. He saw Vadhis staring at him with an icy glare. "What are you mad about? I just liberated you from that mob of surely scum." BRBR  
  
Vadhis did not reply. BR  
"What's your name?" BR  
Still no reply. BR  
"You want some food?" Karn held out a protein bar to him. Vadhis reluctantly reached out to accept it but was surprised when he pulled it back and asked him again, "What's your name?"BR  
"Vadhis." He took the bar and chewed on it thoughfully. He looked at what Karn was eating. It was an odd mixture of green limp flakes, yellow crispy flakes, hard elongated noodles and small brown chunks of meat. Vadhis looked at his dish in disgust. "What are you eating?"BR   
"Taco salad!" Karn pulled out a blue plastic bag labeled slat and Vinegar chips and stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Here, as prisoner you have to eat these." BR  
Vadhis was really hungry, so he opened the bag and started to munch. "Hey!" he smiled "These are good!" BR  
"Let me have some!" Karn ate one and cringed. "Whoa! sooooo salty... I'm eighty percent water and I'd like to stay that way."BR  
Vadhis grabbed the bag back. "Suit yourself."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure growled and jerked on the tight leather lead that had been placed around her neck, her hands were useless now, tied behind her back. Not quite tight enough to cut off her circulation, but tight enough that she couldn't wriggle her way out of them. Her lead tightened around her throat, cutting her growl to a wheeze abruptly. BRBR  
  
"SHADDUP!" The crewmember holding the leather lead jerked on it so she had to stoop over and gasp like a fish out of water for breath. "Or I'll put this pretty blaster of yers t'use."BR  
Hoth growled and his face twisted into a hideous scowl.BR  
Bild slapped the crewmember roughly. "Aye, and after you do that I'll put this pretty sword of MINE t'use. Fool! Botch our profits will ye?!"BRBR  
  
Vlah'do was getting treated very harshly by Wandrin who insisted on taking him by himself. The leather strap chafed against his neck and rubbed it raw. He would tug it violently whenever Vlah'do made the slightest movement and then shove him foreward. Wandrin had made a mistake in taking Vlah'do by himself though. Hoth and Azure were being led at the front by the rest of the crew who had them heavily guarded and surrounded, while Wandrin had his fun with Hoth.BRBR  
  
Wandrin shoved Hoth foreward and then yanked on the strap, choking him. He stumbled and Wandrin kicked him in the back and he fell to the ground. "What's the matter akrennian? Can't stay on your feet? Won't you make a fine slave if you keep falling over! Maybe you and I should just end this right now." BRBR  
  
Wandrin aimed a kick at him. The kick landed and Hoth caught his foot in his arms and tugged, making Wandrin fall over backwards. Hoth hurried to his feet and loosened the strap around his neck. Wandrin tried to scurry to his feet, but Hoth kicked him back to the ground before he could get up, wrapped the slack of the rope around his neck and ran. BRBR  
He ran between the trees while dragging Wandrin by the neck across the forest loam. Away from the rest of the crew he ran, with Wandrin gurgling behind him. BR  
Fortunately for him, there was thick carapace on his neck that saved his life, but he couldnt breath and so after a short amount of time, he passed out. Hoth stopped running when he realised that the figure he was dragging behind him had gone limp. BR  
He stopped on a sandy beach. He had seen Karn escape and was formulating a plan. He would find Karn and they would help to rescue his mate and Vlah'do. They would have to act fast before they got to their ship. Hoth knew that Wandrin was not dead, but he didn't want to kill him, so instead, he struggled to take off the strap and put it around Wandrin's neck and tied the other end to a tree. He set off down the beach in search of Karn.BRBR   
  
***BRBR  
  
Rekk tried to correctly work the navigational controls of the ship, but he knew he'd eventually screw up somewhere. He shakily steered the ship closer to the ground. All at once he thought, How the hell am I going to land? BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure made a gagging noise and wheezed, hoping to get them to loosen her lead a little more. She growled an obsenity in Akrennian at her captor, wishing she could get her hands around his throat. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn was about to take a bite of his salad when he remembered something. "Oh yeah, the comm..." After a little prodding, Karn was able to... produce the comm once again. It wasnt a pretty sight and Vadhis looked disgusted as he watched. "I just hope this thing still works..." He pressed a button. "Hello? Is anyone there?"BR  
Rekk tried to manuever the ship to shore when he got this message. "I'm here. Who is this? What happened?"BR  
"This is Karn. Azure and Hoth picked us up. We were surrounded by pirates and taken hostage. I escaped and now I have one of the pirates hostage." Vadhis reached into the bag and Karn smacked his hand with the flat of the blade and snarled. "Get out of the food! We dont have much!"BR  
"What?"BR  
"Nothing. You'll be looking for us then?"BR  
"Yeah, I'll see look for you. It's just that... I'm not used to... these stupid..." Rekk struggled with the controls as the ship slowly banked downward. "Stupid controls... UP! Go UP!"BR  
Fortunately for Rekk, he was really low and so his descent was very short before the ship hit the shore and skidded to a halt in the sand. "Ah....." Rekk muttered in despair.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth scanned the beach from on top of a dune. Unfortunately he couldnt see very far in the night. He looked for tracks but was unable to find any; the beach was a smooth pattern of ripples. Hoth thought about his situation; he needed to find Karn so that they could get Vlah'do and Azure out of there. Where would I go if I were him? He looked into the ocean and noted were the sun had setted before setting off.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure and Vlah'do were kept under close guard by the remnant of the crew. Bild suddenly stopped and looked around. "Stripe me, where's Wandrin got himself too?"BR  
Sovwren said, "We can't be bothered about him now, He can take care of himself."BR  
Bild was fed up. "Now just a minute here!" He bellowed. "I've already abandoned one of my crew, I'm not leaeving my first mate!" BR  
Surprisingly, Sovwren backed down.BR  
Bild issued commands to his crew. "You two go see were he's got himself to. Until we find him we stay here!"BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
From the bushes a pair of eyes remained riveted on the crew. Behind these carefully scrutinizing eyes a thought swarmed like a swarm of angry bees. Squemetan! Here? It cant be! After studing the group for a short time, they disappeared. A heat sync was extracted from its chamber and left to cool as its owner lay prone in the undergrowth to plan and wait.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Wandrin stirred. He didn't realise what had happened and was terrified that he couldn't see. Then he realised that he was lying face down under a tree. It was pitch black. BR  
He sat up. He was dazed very badly. He tried to move, but his movement was restricted by the leash tied around the tree and his neck. He took the leash in his hands and tried to break it. After failing, he realised that he still had Vlah'do's knife in his pocket. With rapidly regaining strength, he whipped out the knife and sliced the leash in a single fluid movement. BR  
He felt his neck. A small crack in the carapace had started to form on the throat. He fingered the crack which was just below a small chink in the plating which was natural to all Squemetan. That Akrennian will pay... He could see a set of tracks leading off into the night's sands. He could also see where he had come from.BRBR  
  
Should I go back and join the rest of the crew? No, that Akrennian will have to be killed. The Captain wouldnt like it, but it must be so. He must die for this act by my hand and my hand alone... He headed off in a jog down the beach were the tracks led. BRBR  
  
***BRBR 


	2. From Night to Day

"Rekk? What happened?" Karn asked after getting a few minutes of static.BR  
"I crashed it! DAMNIT! I'm so stupid!"BR  
"You crashed? Is it bad?"BR  
"Probably not but I sure don't know how to get it started again. I don't think I should have tried to fly it in the first place."BR  
"Tell me where you are and we'll come to you." Vadhis devoured the remnants of the salt and vinegar chips. BR"Glutton..." he whispered in his general direction.BR  
"What was that?"BR  
"Nothing. So what do you suggest we do?"BR  
"I'd like to meet you, so why dont you come on over to my place." Reek said with an air of casual humour.BR  
"Umm, sure. Where are you?"BR  
Rekk looked at his surroundings for the first time. "Well, there are a lot of trees on one side and on the other there is a lot of sand... Oh no..."BR  
"What? What's the matter?"BR  
Rekk whispered into the comm. "Someone's coming..." He returned to the ship in search of a weapon. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth didn't believe his eyes. The IArchAngel/I was lying on the beach like a beached whale. He approached cautiously. Rekk saw the figure on the beach drawing near and nervously fingered the blaster he had found in Hoth's cabin. He forced himeself to stand in the doorway and fire as best as he could at the approaching form.   
Hoth saw the tracing blaster fire fired from the door as it tore the night. Fortunately for Hoth, Rekk was bad a bad aim and his first shots missed. Hoth yelped in surprised and dived and rolled to one side on imstinct. He got up and ran through the sand as the laser shots hit the ground behind him as he ran. "ITS ME! ITS HOTH!" He shouted. "DONT SHOOT!"BR  
Rekk stopped. "D'oh!"BR  
"Gods..." Hoth muttered, rubbing his side where he'd rolled over a patch of rocks. "They've got the others over in that direction somewhere." Hoth gestured behind him vaguely. BRBR  
  
"AKRENNIAN!" The night silence was broken by Wandrin upon seeing Hoth outside the ship. "You have insulted me, challenged me and tried to kill me. You and I will settle this now! Hand to hand! Do you accept, or are you a coward?" Even though Wandrin was a scoundrel of a pirate, he retained a certain quiet dignity. BR  
Rekk leveled his blaster menacingly but Hoth put his hand on the gun and he lowered it again. "Squemetan, you tried to sell me into slavery. That's reason enough to kill you. I guess I was just too kind to have let you live. Now I'll finish the job! I accept!"BR  
Both advanced and circled each other. Squemetan fists are part of their exoskeleton as well as their skulls, ribs and hips. Getting hit by a squemetan fist is like getting hit with a brick and hitting a squemetan in the wrong place is like hitting a brick wall. Nonetheless, Hoth advanced viciously with a growl twisted on his face. BRBR  
  
Wandrin stepped forward and threw a punch aimed at Hoth's face. He ducked it and landed a hard upper cut to Wandrin's vulnerable midsection which forced the air from his lungs. Wandrin forced himself to move and took advantage their position by grabbing Hoth's arm and throwing him over his shoulder. Hoth landed in the sand in front of him. Wandrin was about to stomp in him, but Hoth rolled out of the way. He stood and faced his charging foe.BR  
Wandrin was going as fast as he could despite the sand that grasped his ankles and slowed him down. Hoth stood his ground. Wandrin prepared to lunge when Hoth went down and swept his feet from under him. Wandrin went down hard, hitting the sand with his face first. Hoth saw that victory was at hand, he fell on top of Wandrin and preceeded to start to choke the life out of him.  
Wandrin say that the situation was dire. This time he would not stop until he was dead. He reached for something and fumbled with Hoth's grasp with the other hand. Hoth felt a biting pain suddenly tearing through his right arm. He released his grasp and grunted. Wandrin turned and kicked him off of him. Both got up and stared at each other. BR  
"A knife." Hoth looked at his right arm and pulled out Vlah'do's knife from his right bicep. "That was a dirty trick!" BR  
Wandrin didnt respond. He had failed to kill him the first time he had cheated. He was angry with himself. He just wanted to throw himself on this inpertinent akrennian and beat him to death. However this particular one was a real fighter. He would not be intimidated or tricked. Nor would he just die. What am I thinking? he asked himself. I am the superior race! This is person is nothing! I am better trained and stronger than this person. He cannot harm me! I am indestructable. His vision temporarilly turned red. All he saw was this man in front of him that represented everything he had ever hated. This man was under him, he was inferior, he was weak, he was akrennian! Without a second thought, he threw himself on Hoth. BRBR  
  
Hoth didnt expect this and so had left himself open. Wandrin took him down and was on top of him, pressing him into the sand. His long, hard bony fingers wrapped around Hoth's throat and choked the breath from him.   
Rekk observed the struggle from outside the IArchAngel/I. Now that he saw Hoth starting to lose he ran to help him. He stopped halway. He saw Wandrin go limp and issue a gurgling cry. Hoth freed himself from underneath him and in the process turned Wandrin over. Rekk could see the knife stabbed to the hilt in a tiny hole in the carapace on the neck and the throat, protruding like a grotesque handel. BR  
Hoth stood up. His arm bled profusely, but he couldnt stop staring at the limp form of Wandrin. His legs were folded underneath him and his fingers were still clenched. His face had a subtle expression of surprise and his head was lolled back displaying the knife in his throat. Blood oozed out slowly between the cracks in the carapace and the knife's hilt. Rekk was startled and slightly disgusted. Hoth looked on with indifference. He went into the IArchAngel/I to get a bandage for his arm. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Vlah'do sat on the ground next to Azure with his hands tied and being watched by half the motley crew. Bild had gotten frustrated and was pacing around waiting for the small task force he had sent out to return. "Stripe me, where can they have gotten to."BR  
Sovwren eyed the captives with indifference. "I say this is all a waist of time. I mean, you're worried about Wandrin? You think he can't handle a little akrennian on a leash?"BR  
"It's not that, it's that hes-" He saw the three that he had sent out return and trailed off, jumping up from his seat and hurrying over to them. "Where is he?" BR  
A squemetan was pushed to the front by the other two. "Well captain. We, err, didn't find him exactly."BR  
"WHAT?!?" Bild exploded.BR  
The squemetan cowered. "But we-we did find some tracks sir! We came back to get you because-cause we were going to tell you so that you could de-decide. Sir!"BR  
Bild pondered this for a moment. He then took his katana and smacked him with the flat of his blade, producing a loud clang and a small cut in the flesh. "I only used the back of me blade because you did the right thing. I guess its true that if you want to get anything done right you have to do it yourself. I'll take these two and go get 'im. But you'll stay here and as punishment, you have to stay here and sharpen milady's sword for 'er." He looked over at Sovwren fondly. "I noticed it was getting a piece dull..."BR  
"Thank you Bild. That's very considerate." She stepped closer to him and gave him a big hug. Bild melted.BR  
"Sovwren, you old flatter you..." As she stepped away she took his katana. "Hoi! What in blue blazes!"BR  
"I'm going to need this frog sticker of yours for a while." BR  
"But dearest... that... is... MY-"BR  
"Oh honestly Bild, I'm going to give it right back. Besides, your just going to go fetch your old messmate." She moved close to him once again. "You know how I feel about not having a weapon."BR  
Bild melted as she stroked his beak. "Oh all right. I... guess its okay. But don't get any ideas!" He started off. The other two followed and bumped into him as he stopped and turned around. "Watch where your going dunderheads!"BRBR  
  
The mantrin he had bumped into eyed him curoisly. "Captain? I was just thinking. I think I'd like Ghassedt to come with us on this little trip." BR  
A short squemetan holding a huge gun looked up and smiled. He stroked the pulse laser in his lap. "Aye Captain." He said flatly. He had gotten that gun from a soldier in the akrennian army. It was his personal prize and well worth the risk he had taken to get it and measures he had used to keep it. He had a reputation for being a deadly acurate shot even though the gun he packed was very heavy and cumbersome.BR  
Bild waved to Sovwren and left into the night following the tracks he had been showed. There was one pair of foot prints that were spread far apart. That meant that its owner had been running. And there was a skid mark next to them, as though something were being dragged beside it. They followed these tracks down the beach.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The person in the bush had returned. He had spared no time preparing but had gotten everything he had needed, infared goggles, smoke canisters, even an extra heat sink for his customized particle assault rifle. He watched the four men leave the group and head down the beach. He laboriously followed, cursing his knee for not following the commands he gave it. Hehe, divide and conquer my friends, you're just making it that much easier for me... He thought as he followed the four from a distance.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure saw this motion and stirred. She looked into the night and saw it again. A bush rustled, a twig snapped, a foot touched the ground just a little too hard. She nudged Vlah'do who had started to nod off. BR  
"Adgha tha ponras?" BR  
Vlah'do became alert and looked at her enquizatively. BROh gods,she thought, he doesn't speak my tongue!BR   
"Fraonm yeop fira ghats?" Have I seen what?BR  
Azure hid her gladness and whispered to him. "Hirsa hest por ghout junious plyantron!" There is someone in the bushes! BR  
"Ditranios? Doundre?" Really? Where?BR  
Azure nodded with her head. "Ahyiou!"BR  
Vlah'do looked but didnt see anything. The one she talked about had left. He didn't doubt her though. He continued to converse with her in their language so as not to be understood by their captives. "Are you sure?"BR  
"Positive." She said flatly.BR  
"What do you think we should do?"BRBR  
  
A mantrin nearby stirred from his rest. "Cut it out you two! Quiet down or I'll silence you with my bare hands!"  
Both waited for him to tip his head back again and nod off.BR  
"Every thing possible to help him. I think he's going to help us!"BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn called on the slimy communicator once again to no avail. "Hoth, come in Hoth. Are you there?" No reply.BR "What could have happened?"BR  
Vadhis munched his last mouthful of salt and vinegar chips. "Well, a number of things. They could have been caught by-"BR  
"Quiet you. No one likes a comedian." BR  
Vadhis distainfully finished his mouthful. Oddly enough he was starting to feel a bond to this igonian. He no longer bore resemblance to the tree skipper he had caught but never could bring himself to eat. An akward silence ensued that was broken by Karn.BR  
"How old are you?" He held the knife loosely in his hand as though he hadn't use for it.BR  
"Well, let's see. I think that... I am twenty-seven Solbrecht years old."BR  
"How much is that in standard?"BR  
"I dont know."BR  
Another silence followed. Vadhis felt compelled to break it this time. "And you?"BR  
"What?"BR  
"How old are you?"BR  
He felt odd having his captive make conversation with him. "I am eighteen Tahu-Dzo years, twenty-two Standard which is twenty-five Solbrecht."BR  
"That's cool." Vadhis said dully. He wanted to keep talking but had run out of things to talk about until he spotted the band around his hand. "That's nice. What is it?"BR  
"Well, its like the one on your ear there, but this one's special."BR  
"How so?"BR  
"Well, it's my wedding band."BR  
"Wedding band? You're married?" BR  
"Yeah."BR  
"But you're only twenty-five!"BR  
Karn smiled. "We believe in marrying young."BR  
"You... don't have any... kids, do you?"BR  
He smiled again, but this time it was not an amused smile, but a happy smile. "Yes. I have one. He is new born."BR  
"Well, what are you doing away from him here?"BR  
"It was a diplomatic mission."BR  
"A diplomat? Oh Gods... if we ever got caught..."BR  
"You'd be in for some serious punishment, I'm sure." BR  
"And I'll bet you don't even have anything of value."BR  
"Nope," he smiled his sarcastic smile again. "just our lives and freedom which you were trying to take away."BR  
"Yeah? Well I'm through with pirating anyway. I got sick of it."BR  
"So I kind of saved you after you tried to sell me as a slave."BR  
"I hadn't thought of it like that, but yeah. I guess that's what it's like." BR  
"Bah, get off. And I'll bet you don't have any friends in that motley group and you were going to leave soon anyway. Am I right?"BR  
Vadhis was suddenly serious. "No, I had a friend. She was a real sad case. She was foresaken from her clan and was going to commit suicide. That's when I met her. She was a real sad person until she joined this crew. After that she sort of got happy. But I knew it couldn't last because no one can remain glad when they are making others suffer."BR  
"So you fell in love with her?"BR  
Vadhis was silent.BR  
"Did you?" Karn asked.BR  
"I... I guess so. I never really thought about it before. She was never really interested in love..." He trailed off.BR  
The silence returned and hovered over them like a storm. Karn broke it by standing up and talking to him. "Well, I think that you'd better come with us to Nami Muro. But first, we have to have Hoth and..." Karn thought for a second. He realised that he didn't know the other guy's name. He knew that he was a human male adolescent or older, but he didn't know who he was. "That other guy find us. So, let's build a fire."BR  
Vadhis helped him carry small pieces of wood and arrange them in a circular patter. He noticed that Karn had returned the knife to its place.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth wrapped gause around the puncture wound in his right bicep and cut the cloth with his teeth. Rekk walked into the room. "Hoth, I need to know how-" He stared at Hoth's midsection. "Good God! What happened to your stomach?" BR  
Hoth raised an eye ridge and looked down at his shirt. It was torn in two places to reveal two long lascerations across his muscular stomach. His mouth went agape. He hadn't even noticed them before. Closer inspection of the corpse of the squemetan revealed what had happened. Wandrin was a rugged fighter and had honed every fighting capability he had to the best of his extent. He had apparently taken advantage of his two clawed feet and gotten smaller boots than would have fitted him and cut two holes in the toe to reveal his two claws protruding wickedly from the leather tip. They were slightly stained with his blood. When he had stabbed Hoth and he had released his grip, Wandtin had turned around and kicked him off and in the process, cut him. The wound was very shallow but long. "Gods... will my luck ever return?"BRBR  
  
Rekk helped him place the bandages across his torso as Hoth cringed. "Careful, that hurts!"BR  
"If that were me, I would be screaming in pain buddy! Don't give me that, I know you can take a little more. Whatever doesn't kill ya will only make you stronger right?" Rekk laughed.BR  
Hoth was not in the mood for humour. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The shadowy figure cursed his knee once again. It had caused him to knock against trees and hit the ground louder than he had intended, making it very hard for him to be stealthy. He knew the terrain well and soon came to the spot he had intended. He set up his tripod and waited in the tall grass. The rifle rested and he swung it a few times to see if it would move easily. It did.  
He spotted his targets as they rounded the hill. The tracks led them to the ArchAngel. He noticed that his primary threat had lit a cigarette. The small light bobbed up and down as Ghassedt walked, his laser pulse rifle held laxly in his hands. Ha! he thought. Not only do you make yourself a better target but you are screwing up your night vision. You aren't going anywhere buddy. Just wait until I can get a clear shot.BRBR  
  
Bild saw it first, The IArchAngel/I in the sand, but when he rounded the sand a little more, he tore into a bolting run. "Wandrin! No! Me ol' messmate! Not you!"BRBR  
  
Hoth had already sensed the peril and had left the ship with Rekk and fallen back to a dune far away from the IArchAngel/I. He saw the four round the hill and come to the corpse. The lead mantrin was a tough, well-built male who would not be taken down with one shot. Hoth assessed the situation. Who is most threatening? The mantrin? No, I see someone with a gun back there. He needs to die first. Hoth took careful aim and waited for Ghassedt to stop walking. Hoth smiled to himself. Ghassedt had stopped and remained standing as the other three knelt next to the body of their fallen comrade. Right now they're probably thinking 'Who killed Wandrin? Isn't this that little akrennian's knife in his throat?' I'm going to enjoy this. Hoth carefully aimed his blaster at Ghassedt's head but never got to fire.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Ghassedt screamed in pain, a terrible sound, and the gun flew from his hands as he fell to the ground. For the third time that night, the shooter cursed himself. He had missed him mark and instead of hitting Ghassedt in the head, he had put a hole clean through the Squemetans upper torso near the sternum and a little to the left. He had his rifle set on full energy burst and now had to remove the heat sync and let it cool before he could fire again. He took the steaming cartrage from the chamber and extracted another. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The other three had scattered upon seeing Ghassedt hit the sand. They hid behind whatever they could. The other matrin from the group had stayed with Bild and now hid behind a tree. The other squemetan had fled to a rock for cover.BR  
It was a pitiful sight; Ghassedt layed strewn on the sand with the rifle on the ground in front of him. He was still alive, and in great pain. "Oh Ballican! Oh Ballican!" He yelled. "It hurts so much! It hurts so @#%$ much! Help me! Help me!" No one moved to his aid. "I'm gonna die! I'm going to die! Help me!"BR  
The mantrin with Bild made a movement but Bild stopped him. "No Fakhrir. It's the oldest trick in the book; shoot someone to wound and pick off anyone that comes to help. There's nothing we can do for poor Ghassedt but avenge his death."BR  
Rohgrhun, the other squemetan with Bild, saw her mate in his death rows and heard his agonizing cries. He continued for a long time. "Rohghun! Rohghrun! Help me! Please help me! I'm dying! Oh Ballican, it hurts!"BR  
She could stand it no longer. She rushed to his side. Bild cried out. "Rohgrhun! No! Dont!" She didn't listen.BR  
This time, the target was not missed. A tracer split the night, illuminating the scene. She fell without a sound, never to get up. Ghassedt saw this from the corner of his eye. "Ballican take me now. All is lost!" He stopped crying. Two Squemetan bodies were strewn in the sand next to each other. Ghassedt bled profusely, but Roghrhun hadn't, she was killed by a shot straigh through the torso and heart. Ghassedt was lying on his side with blood pouring from the hole just below his neck in the hard bone. Both lay next to each other for the rest of eternity.BR  
Fakhrir had completely freaked! He lost it and almost tried to bolt, but Bild caught him by the shirt and smacked him in the face. "Damnit man! Listen to me!"BR  
Fakhrir shook with terror and unused adrenaline. "They are both dead! The only thing we can do is head back to the rest of thee crew and fight back. What we need is daylight and guns. Both will be ours if you follow me and wait! Now come on!" He ran into the forest, across the hill and back the way he had come with Fakhrir close behind.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Through the scope he could see the two retreating figures clearly. Obviously they had no idea where he was or they would have taken another route. He decided not to shoot at either but to let them return from where they had come. That's right, run back to the group. I'll find you, you can't escape me. He was completely prepared, which was the most dangerous thing about him.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth poked his head out from behind the sand dune, cautiously scanning for threat before scrambling over the dune, motioning for Rekk to follow. He pressed his wrist comm, which he had grabbed before leaving the ArchAngel, and waited for the ramp to come down. Hikori appeared at the top of the ramp, looking a bit confused.  
"Captain? Might I ask what is going on?" BR  
"No time to explain, just get us airborn." Hoth replied. Hikori shrugged and obliged, walking in the direction of the cockpit. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure perked her ears and listened carefully, hoping that if their unknown savior fired it would cause enough confusion for Vlah'do and herself to slip off. And maybe she would be able to get her things back as well. She snorted softly at the thought. Fat chance, Azure. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn had lit a cozy fire and sat next to Vadhis on a piece of drift wood. He had been trying to contact Hoth unseccusfully for a while and had given up, but now he felt impressed to try again. He wiped the comm for the umpteenth time and pressed the button. "Hoth are you there?"BR  
"Yes, I'm here." came the reply.BR  
"Hoth! We built a fire down the beach. Can you come and get us?"BR  
"A fire? Are you crazy? You want to get found?"BR  
"Yes, by you!"BR  
"Listen, we have the IArchAngel/I off the ground again and we're coming to find you. Put out the fire and don't move from where you are."BR  
"Got it."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
A series of faint clicks resounded through the night as a zipper opened. He had planned this carefully as he returned for equipment. He extracted the gas mask from his backpack and put it on, adjusting it until it fit snuggly around his muzzle. He adjusted his goggles and checked everything on his gun before rotating the heat syncs once again. He headed off once again thanking fate that his luck could not get any worse. He had plans. He couldn't afford anymore mistakes.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild returned panting to the group with Fahkrir in his wake. "Sovwren!" He shouted upon approaching. BR  
"What?" BR  
"They got them!"BR  
"Who? Who got what?"BR  
"Wandrin! And Ghassedt! They're dead!"BR  
"Who killed them?"BR  
"I dont know! And then Rohgrhun tried to help him and they got her too!"BR  
"WHO!"BR  
"I DONT KNOW!" BR  
Sovwren was surprised but retained her collectiveness enough to size up the situation. "Okay, we need to get out of here. It must be some police or army or something." She grabbed her sword from the cowering squemetan who was sharpening it. "But first, light some torches."BR  
Three crew members passed out magnesium flares. Each of the remaining crew members held one. Upon recieving a flare, one of the mantrin crew members protested. "But don't you think that we could see better without the flare. I mean, they mess up our night vision and make us easier to see."BR  
"Shut your beak fool! Everyone knows its easier to see with the light. Besides, its the captain's orders. Maybe we can find the blochnauht that's been killing our mates!"BR  
"Yeah, but I dont like it."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The stalker surveyed the crew through his night vision goggles. He saw the mantrins conversing and the small red sticks passed out. Now what could those be? he though. He saw the Mantrin who had been arguing shrug and pull the tip of the flare off. Gods! He quickly threw off his goggles and they landed with a thump in the sand. He rubbed his eyes vigorously. Night vision goggles work by taking all the light visible and increasing it exponencially so that it is more easily visible. When the flare was lit, it appeared so bright to the onlooker that it was like staring into the noonday sun. He crouched with his head in his hands. Curses, he thought, now I'll have to try them with my bare eyes. He restored the goggles to their place and headed after them.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild had regained his courage and took command of the situation. "All right!" He yelled above the din. "We are going to back to the ship! Follow me and we'll be there in no time." He lead the crew through the forest and into the night.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
He saw them leaving and headed after them. I can't keep up. I'm going to have to distract them. He cursed his luck again. This was not planned and he didn't have much time. He needed to stop them now if he was going to rescue their two prisoners. He made a mental check of all his supplies. Mask, flash and smoke canisters, extra sync, This was going to be sudden but if he played his cards right he could pull off what he had in mind. BR  
He started after and noticed that the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. Well finally a little luck. He smiled. The Gods must approve of what I am about to do... BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The IArchAngel/I sat down on the sand, Hikori having traced the comm using the ship's computers. Hoth grumbled impatiently as the ramp squawked it's way down. "Karn, c'mon! We've gotta move!" He yelled over the working gears. the ramp set down with a muffled thud.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure lay back her ears and struggled with her captors, dragging her feet and stopping in her tracks. Only to have the leash around her neck jerked, along with herself. Finnally her captor tired of this and grabbed the leash near her throat, tipping her head back and making her stand on her toes. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.BR  
"OBEY." The Squemetan snapped, loosening his grip so she was able to stand normaly. BR  
"Sela." Azure made no hesitation and bit his hand, growling as her teeth sunk through the hard exoskeleton. The Squemetan howled and tried to shake her off, only suceeding in making Azure clamp harder. She released him when he dragged her to a tree and was about to hit her head against a palm tree. He howled again as his hand scraped across the bark.BR  
Azure spat in the sand at his feet, glaring. "Don't touch me, sela." BRBR  
  
Things were starting to look up once again. With the silent sniper's rifle silent they were free to walk in casual comfort at a leasurely pace. The sun was coming up and they were headed back to their ship with their slaves. Bild was back to his old self and furious at having lost two able bodied captives. Sovwren kept him in check while the whole crew walked through the jungle with their two captives.BR  
Negyr looked at his broken hand. It was incredibley painful; the carapace had been broken and splintered out one two ends. The flesh inside had been punctured in a sort of compound fracture and it bled terribley. He couldn't even move his fingers very much without an immense pain. His friend bandaged his wound. Negyr looked back at Azure. "What d'you think the captain'll do to 'er Schin?"BR  
The other squemetan laughed. "'E'sh going to flog 'er! That's what 'e'll do! If'n 'e doen't kill 'er in da proshessh! An' 'e told ushn'sh not to 'botch 'is profitsh'. Bah! No, 'e won't kill 'er! 'E'll just shmack 'er around a bit." BR  
"Well after she did this to me I think it's the least she deserves! Look at that!" He held up his broken hand. "Clean through! It's gone clean through the bone! How did she manage? I'f I wasn't sure that the Captain's going to give her the beating of her life, I would go over there right now and break both her hands! By Ballican I would!"BR  
"I 'ear you mate." He sniggered to himself before continuing in his curious dialect. "Don't you worry tho', Ol' Captain Bild'sh gonna give 'er a good roughing-up! You'll shee. Ah, 'ere he come'sh now."  
Bild stormed across the beach, his retrieved katana in his hands. He saw Azure on her leash, taking a catnap. Although he was a bully, Bild was not weak. He had been born naturally strong. Without much effort he lifted Azure bodily from the ground by the leash. "You dirty Blochnaut! Look what you've done! I'm going to have to teach you come humility I can see!" BR  
Azure gagged, her feet dangling off the ground. She had been caught completely off guard because it had been roughly thirty minutes since Negyr had showed the captain his injury after a failed attempt to punish Azure himself. Even though she was without breath, she snarled and bore her teeth, radiating fighting spirit. Bild disregarded her entirely. "Schin, go fetch me a spike and hammer."BRBR  
  
"Yesh Shir." He returned with a large metal spike and a malet. All this time, Bild kept Azure suspended off her feet by the collar. BR  
"Negyr, put that spike into this tree right here."  
Negyr obeyed and started hammering into the tree, wincing in pain as he bent his fingers, producing a shockwave of pain. He just hoped that he didn't miss his mark and hit his hand.BR  
With Azure pinned against the tree by Bild's massive arms, her head was just centimeters away from his. "You're lucky this spike isn't going through your throat akrennian!" BR  
"That'll do Negyr. I'll do the punishing round here!" He hung her up by the collar on the spike protruding from the tree. "Now, you'll stay there until you've learned some respect! Schin! Tie her hands!"BR  
"'E'e, yesh captain." Bild had to help him because the squirming Akrennian fought tooth and nail. Eventually her hands were tied together in front of her. It was a pathetic sight. Azure dangled from the tree being chocked by the leash with her hands tied in front of her. She did not yell because she knew that she must preserve her breath. She knew that they would dare not kill her but they might come pretty close. BRBR  
  
The three watched her in gruesome amusement until Bild did something unexpected. "Negyr, go get some kindling."BR  
"Captain?"BR  
He stared back at him authoritively. "We need to start a fire soon. Go get some kindling!"BR  
"But captain," He whimpered. "My hand..."BR  
"I DONT CARE ABOUT YOUR ZLOTTING HAND! GO GET SOME KINDLING!"BR  
"Yee-ees Captain!" He left quickly.BR  
"And you, Schin."BR  
"Yesh? Captain?"BR  
"Get lost."BR  
"Yesh Captain." Schin started to walk back to the rest of the group in dawn's first rays of light. Once he was out of ear-shot, he turned around to see Bild staring at Azure. "Dat'n'sh an odd'n if I do shay sho meshelf..."BRBR  
  
Bild circled the pathetic form on the tree. "So me beauty, you've been causing a spot of trouble then haven't you?" Azure did not reply. "You wound one of my crew with your bare teeth! You've got a fighting fire that I haven't seen in a long time! I have a proposition to make to ye." He slid the tip of his katana between the collar and Azure's neck and with a flick of the wrist, cut the collar. Azure fell in the sand, coughing. "Hows about you join my crew?" Azure coughed. "I know, the squemetan wouldn't like it, but if they layed a finger on you, I'd learn them a harsh lesson they wouldn't soon forget. They've been getting a little big on themselves lately and-"BR  
"Never!"BR  
"Wot?"BR  
"I'd never join your gang of parasite-ridden, meat-headed bullies! I'd rather be sold into slavery! I'd rather die!"BR  
Bild was amazed. He had just offered this Akrennian women her freedom and a comfortable privateering life, and she had rejected it just as easily as if she had turned down an extra piece of pie. "Fool! Don't you realise what you have been offered?" Her raised his katana. "I guess you need some more teaching!" The flat of the blade came down hard on her back and she cringed as the blade made a small laceration along her back.  
He raised the sword again. All of a sudden, he was pushed forward from behind and his sword was pulled from his hands. "Hey! I'll kill you-" He turned to see Sovwren glaring at him with the katana in her hands and her sword strapped to her back.BR  
"You idiot! What do you think your doing?"BR  
"Sovwren, me little dove. I was just teaching this little 'un of ours some manners."BR  
"I know her kind. You're wasting your strength. You could beat her to a bloody pulp before you hindered her spirit." She approached Azure and knelt next to her. She patted her head almost maturnally. "Isn't that right? Your a real fighter aren't you?"BR  
Azure stared back defiantly. "Don't waste your breath! Your mate already tried to get me to join your crew! I won't!"BR  
"Oh, I don't expect you to join." She stood and backed away. "I know that you'll provide some real entertainment around here."BR  
"That's what I am huh?" BR  
Sovwren turned to look at the speaker.BR  
"Your entertainment? Your little dancing fool? Well, all I'll be doing is escaping. But I won't stop there. No, I vow that I will beat your sgraggly hide a few times before this day's done!"BR  
"Like I said. A real fighter." BR  
"Heed my words woman!"BR  
"I disregard your words. I don't even feel intimidated because you are not a threat." She returned to the rest of the crew.BRBR  
  
Bild was rather bewildered. "Err, just behave yourself now miss. I don't want to do anything drastic to yer." He placed a chord about her neck while keeping his blade trained on her. "Now, this cord ain't as nice as that little collar. If you run, it will cut you. If I don't like what you're doing, I'll pull the chord. Understood?"BR  
Azure tested the cord by pulling on it a little. Bild was right. "Yeah..." She mumbled under her breath. BR  
"Good, now back with the rest. You can rejoin your matey there."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The sun was starting to come up and so night vision goggles were not necessary. He could easily follow the magnesium flares and the tracks left in the sand. He no longer worried about losing them even though his knee throbbed with pain and ached with each step, he forced himself onward. He remembered the troubled looks on the captives faces. This is one mission that I cannot abort.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure was returned to sitting by Vlah'do. The mantrin who had been nonchalantly guarding them glared at Azure. "Why can't you behave yourself like him?" BR  
"Yes, like you..." Azure said menacingly.BR  
"Azure, Heain glusds!" Azure, he's back!BR  
"Where?"BR  
"To the left. He's been following us for the past few minutes! What do you think we should do?"BR  
"We need to help him! But how?"BR  
"I don't know. People have been saying that he killed three crew members already. I don't think its-"BR  
"HOI!" The mantrin kicked Vlah'do in the side. "How many times do I have to tell you! SHUDDAP with that gobbing!"BR  
Vlah'do cringed and twitched. He was not one to lose his temper readily but he was on the verge of doing so now. BR  
Azure whispered to him. "If that's true then I don't think he'll need our help."BR  
The mantrin lashed out at Azure. "ZLOT SHUT THE-"BR  
Vlah'do threw himself at him. With his hands tied behind his back he still put up a good fight. He kicked and bit and threw himself against the matrin captor. Two other crew members ran to his aid and pulled Vlah'do off of him. Vlah'do was delt many blows and returned to his place with the strapp tightened. The mantrin was replaced by another who took his post readily. BR  
Vlah'do looked at Azure and noticied how beaten up she was. There were bruises around her throat and a long lasceration on her back that bled subtely. Gods, this is terrible. We have to get out of here.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Karn greeted Hoth as he got out of the ship. "Hey Hoth, nice to see you a-"BR  
Hoth pulled out his blaster and aimed it just to the left of Karn's head. Karn instinctively ducked. "Gah! What are you going?"BR  
"Get back!" He yelled at Vadhis.BR  
"Hoth, it's okay." BR  
"What?"BR  
"Let me explain. Vadhis has left the crew! He wants to join us!" BR  
"Wait! You can't just leave! I don't trust this!"BR  
"Hoth, listen! He wants to join us and go to Nami Muro. Come on!" BR  
Hoth growled and bared his teeth. "I still don't trust him." He hissed.  
Hikori shook his head from the top of the ramp. "Captain, please, let us just go. We'll take the mantrin with us. If you do not want him roaming the ship we can lock him in a supply closet. But please, let us just go." He said, always in the same calm, even tone.  
Hoth snarled but holstered his blaster. "Yeah, you're right Hikori. Let's just go get 'em. If that....THING has lain a FINGER on Az I'll..." He cut off his threat with a glare aimed at the dust, snorted, turned and walked back up the ramp into the ArchAngel. BRBR  
  
***BRBR 


	3. Resque

The morning air was clear and cool. The sun was rising on the horizon, casting an orange tint to the previously dark blue landscape. The ocean lapped against the shore and slowly receded back and forth. No one took time to see what a beautiful day it was though because Bild had increased the pace. BR  
The twelve remaining crew members were like a spot, defiling the earth with their mere presence. They trekked along the beach with Vlah'do and Azure in tow. Bild had promised the crew to be back at their ship, The Dark Nebula, in a few minutes, but these minutes had turned to hours and day had broken. BR  
Azure and Vlah'do had, by now realized the futility of the situation and had given up trying to escape; Azure escpecially. Whenever Azure made any false movements, the mantrin with her leash would tug very slightly on the chord, but that was enough to subdue Azure. The chord dug into her neck and Vlah'do thought he could see blood starting to trickle out of the red line forming on her throat. It caused him a great deal of pain to see her being treated so because he thought that this was all his fault. If I weren't for him, Azure would still be with Hoth in the ArchAngel enjoying themselves in safety and comfort.BRBR  
  
A while later, Bild called for a rest break. Everyone started to relax and sit on the ground or stretch out on a rock. Under Bild's explicite orders, both captives were watched by two people at all times.BR  
Negyr sat with his friend Schin under a tree. "Bei! I tellsh yer mate!" Schin said. "All dish trekkin' t'aint good fer a man. Wot I'm shaying is dat I'm shtarting to think old Captain Bild'sh losht 'ish way! You shavvy?"BR  
"I hear you. I don't think so." Negyr relaxed and layed down in the sand, his right hand still throbbing with pain. "Myabe the old Dark Nebula is just farther than you think. I mean, we did have a long- GAAAAAAAH!" Schin looked up surprised as he heard the scream mixed with a sickening crunch. BR  
"Wot? Wot'is it?"BR  
"MY HAND!" He jumped up and down shaking his other hand. A coconut had fallen from the tree and landed on his good hand. BR  
He shook his cruched hand in Schin's face. It was terribley mangled, with pieces of carapace sticking out of the bloody flesh. BR  
Negyr looked up the tree to see a crab busily working at another coconut. "You zlotting Blochnaut! I'll kill you!" He reached for his blaster but screamed in agony again when his lifeless fingers slapped uselessly off the blaster's butt. BR  
"Shettle down mate! 'Ere, let me 'ave a look at it." Negyr held out his newly broken hand for Schin to look at at. It was terribley bloddy and definately beyond repair.BR  
"Do you think I'll be crippled for life?"BR  
"I don't think sho mate." Schin lied. "Looksh like all you need is a bandage and shome resht." He returned to the group to fish in a kit for another good bandage.BR  
Vlah'do sniggered. Azure looked at him enquizzatively until he nodded in Negyr's direction. He cut a comical figure with one hand bandaged and the other a bloody pulp, hopping up and down and yelling curses at the crab that had cut the coconut. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The trees rustled, but the stalker was not conerned with noise now because he had fallen behind his prey. His knee hurt him immensely, but he pressed foreward. They're getting close. I have to stop them before they get to the ship or else all is lost. He went over his mental checklist one more time.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Vadhis felt really akward. He was put in the cargo hold with his hands chained to a pipeline under Hoth's orders. He wasn't going to escape, nor did he want to escape. He tried to explain that to Hoth but he wouldn't listen to him. Vadhis didn't blame him. In this cargo hold he had had time to think. He knew now exactly what he was going to do. He was going to return to the group and rescue Payerna. He knew that Hoth was going to try to rescue his friends and so he vowed that he would do everything in his power to rescue her. He wanted to tell Hoth this, but he doubted he would listen.BR  
Vadhis stared at the cargo doors. There were no windows for him to look out of and so he was left alone with his thoughts until the doors were opened up and Karn stepped through.BR  
"Karn," Vadhis said. "I need to ask you a favor."BR  
"No need. I already know what you want. Come with me." He unlocked the chains and lead Vadhis out of the room.  
Hikori stood outside the room. He was secretly sent by Hoth to guard Vadhis. Hikori knew that Vadhis would not try anything, but obeyed anyway. "Vadhis, am I correct?" He asked.BR  
"Yes sir." He said.BR  
"There is no need for formalities. Come with us, Hoth wishes to speak with you."BR  
They lead him down the hall to the cockpit were Hoth was guiding the ship. Karn approached Hoth in a casual fashion. "Hoth, I'd like a word."BR  
Hoth turned to him. "Go ahead, seeing as how we are not finding Azure and Vlah'do."BR  
"Hoth, this young mantrin here would like to request something of you."BRBR  
Hoth turned to Vadhis wearily. "Yes?"  
Vadhis looked at him nervously. "Well, as you know I was on the crew that took you captive. I'm tired of pirating and I want to persue a better life. I understand that you are going to Nami Muro and I would like to come with you if you would allow me. I'd also like to help you in any way possible to liberate your friends."B  
Hoth turned this over in his mind. "I think that you don't understand what you are asking. You took me captive and would have sold me and three others into slavery. And now you want to join us?"BR  
"Don't you think that someone can change?"BR  
"Hmm," Hoth looked at Vadhis. He was very reluctant, but he thought that maybe he deserved another chance. "I think I need to talk to Azure first..." He saw the look on Vadhis' face. "But what the hell? You can come. Just stay out of our way."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild stood in the sand at the head of the mob. "There she is mates. The IDark Nebula!/I Ain't she a sight for sore eyes?" Everyone on the crew was utterly relieved. This little trek through the woods had taken a turn for the worse. Who would have thought that this little excursion would have yielded such fruitful searching and at the same time such misfortune?BR  
Bild suddenly realized something. "Cohnudrin." A burly squemeta turned to him. "You're the new first mate."BR  
He grinned. "I won't dissapoint you captain."BR  
"Your first job is to go inside the ship and get the engines warmed up. I want to take off as soon as possible."BR  
"Yes sir captain!" Cohnudrin beamed and scuttled off to the ship.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The stalker had fallen behind. His knee had given in and he had to rest for a moment. His target had moved far away from him in that time. He now felt energized and persued them once again. He found them sitting in a clearing next to their ship. Their ship! he though. They've reached their ship! I've no choice but to start now. But wait, I need to survey this situation before I do anything. He saw Cohnudrin walking around the base of the ship. What's this? he thought. A straggler? No. A prime target...BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Cohnudrin had found the small hidden panel in the base that had the key pad to lower the ship's plank. He typed in the code and the plank dropped. He didn't realize how far away from the rest of the crew he was. He started up the plank and stopped at the top to enter the access code for the door. BR  
He noticed a bush rustling nearby and turned to see what it was. That was the last thing he ever saw.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The crew sat on the beach eating a make shift lunch. Bild had called a break and they breakfasted. The captives were not fed. They stared at the tantilizing meal set for the rest of the crew as they ate. Bild and Sovwren sat next to each other and converesed quietly.  
"What's taking that blockhead so long?" Bild asked between bites.BR  
"I think that you made a mistake in appointing him First Mate. He's not much of a leader."BR  
"Leader?" Bild laughed. "He's not not supposed to be a leader! I just want to keep the crew's morale up. You see," Bild lowered his voice. "I'm thinking that there might be some talk of deserting."BR  
"Desserting? Where will they go?"BR  
"That's even worse. If they can't desert, they'll mutiny!"BR  
Sovwren looked at Bild with admiration. "That's very thoughtful of you Bild. I never thought you'd plan that far through."BR  
Bild smiled. "Yeah, well..."BR  
Sovwren stole a piece of meat from under Bild's beak while he was distracted. "I've been pleasantly surprised with you lately dear."BR  
"Stick with me Sovwren!" He said cheerily. "I'll treat you right."BR  
Sovwren chuckled and ate her prize.BR  
"Captain!" BR  
Bild turned annoyed to the yelling mantrin. "What is it snot beak? Can't you see I'm eating?"BR  
"Cohnudrin is dead!"BR  
"WHAT?!?" He lept up from the table and ran with the mantrin to the ship. BR  
Cohnudrin layed strewn out on the plank. He had been shot in the head and there was blood everywhere in a pool around the body and splattered against the ship's hull. BRBR  
  
Bild could see that his subordinate was starting to lose control at this sight of terrible carnage. "Come on mate." Bild said softly. "This ain't no sight for a weak stomach. Come on, let's get out of here." He waited until he had left to kick Cohnudrin's hardly recognizable body aside. He watched as it fell from the plank and hit the sand with a thud, half burying itself. "Sand hides all. Pure white sand..." He descended the steel plank and finished burying the body. "At least you'll get a resting spot, which is more than I can say for poor old Wandrin." He suddenly realized that he had been left alone. He finished the job hurriedly and ran back to the rest of the crew.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
You are my sword and my shield. You are my protection and divine help. Help me to overcome my enemies for this just cause and help those in need and bring down those that oppress. He grabbed a small canister that was in his vest pocket and gripped it tightly. I ask for your protection if this is the right thing. Nonetheless, not my will, but thine, be done. His knuckles turned white around the canister and he opened his eyes again. Thus I bid. Thank you. He sighted his targets and started to set his plans in motion.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
"So Thrad, wot've you got today?" A mantrin approached a squatting squemetan.BR  
"Back off Gorlin, I earned this!"BR  
"I know mate, I know."BR  
He ate a small piece of dirty fruit. "Hehe, you know, this is the same coconut that crushed poor old Negyr's left hand."BR  
"Now ain't that ironic?" Gorlin stared hungrily at the coconut. "You remember that one time we were on Senti-21 and we ran out of food? And remember how I had saved some and you didn't have any food left? And remember how I gave you half my rations just because you was my mate?"BR  
"Bah!" Thrad stared at the coconut in his hand. "You're pretty lucky today. I'll bet you ate yesterday too but I'll give you some anyways. 'Cause your my mate." He handed a piece of coconut to Gorlin. BR  
"Gods bless you." They both feasted on their meager repast.BR  
All of a sudden a small black canister hit the sand in front of them with a thud and sprayed sand. Thrad leaped up and stared at the canister. It fizzled and a small plume of black smoke escaped from it's tip. "What the-? Gorlin, did you see that?"BR  
"Yeah! It looks like someone threw it from the bushes over there." Thrad drew his blaster and slowly started walking in the direction it had come from.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
DAMNIT! Why? Why this misfortune? I knew that it was old and I should have checked the canister before!  
Thrad motioned for Gorlin to be silent and follow him. Gorlin drew a long rapier and followed. However, their prey was not fooled. He saw them from his position and could hear their approach with ever step. Thrad didn't see anything. BRBR  
  
The time is come. Now!BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
A bush very close moved and Thrad looked in time to see a muzzle flash. Gorlin saw his friend get pierced through the chest by a particle tracer and and fall. He looked in time to see a large figure towering over him. Crack! He was hit on the head with a resounding smack and fell, unconsious. BRBR  
  
The sniper breathed heavily behind his gas mask. That was too close. I'm not comfortable with hand to hand combat. And now for the final task.BR  
He slunk through the forest. It's too light. This is my last chance. He mentally reviewed his plans. This time, I must be faster.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Negyr sat with Schin on a rock, thoroughly annoyed. His luck had never been good, but now! Now he had lost use of BOTH his hands and was probably not even going to get a decent share of the profits. And even if he did he wouldn't be able to enjoy it until his hands were healed, if they ever did. Schin tried his best to comfort him. "Ooch, tisn't so bad! I mean, you've got yer mates, your health and food. What more do yer want?"BR  
"Bah!" Negyr sneered. "Maybe usage of at least ONE hand. I can't even carry anything!"BR  
"No worries! When we get back to da orbital you and I iss going to da "Lunar Nitestand" for a drink and shome fun! Wot do yer shay?"BR  
"Drinks? I cant even pick up a glass with these!" He looked at his broken hands and grunted in dismay.BR  
"Wot's dat?" Schin was suddenly alert.BR  
"What?"BR  
"I heard shomeding." He looked around. "I dont like it mate. Letsh gerrouta 'ere."BR  
"You fool! Go where?"BR  
"I dunno. Just... away. Let'sh take a shtroll tru da woodsh."BR  
"Okay." They left for a short walk. "Mind you though, we need to get back to the ship soon or they'll leave without us."BR  
"Yesh Yesh, I know."BR  
They departed.BRBR  
  
Bild and Sovwren were talking again in secret council with the rest of the crew milling around behind them.  
"Cohnudrin's dead." Bild said faltly.BR  
"We must get out of here. Is the engine warmed up?"  
"Yes. What are we going to do about the lost crew members?"BR  
"People are cheap, they're a Scee a dozen. We can find a million like them anywhere. What we need to do is get out of here."BR  
"That you're right dear. That your right. Let's get the crew ready for departure."BR  
He turned to th the crew. "All right you bunch of bums! Lets get ready and-" In the middle of his sentence a small grey canister hit the sand at his feet. "What in blue blazes?!" Pffffft! It errupted in a small burst of smoke which eventually eveloped Bild. He coughed wildly. "Agh! Help!"BR  
Sovwren thundered into the cloud and grabbed his arm only to be devoured in the smoke and fall with him.   
The cloud grew and grew until it had everyone in the crew inside it either coughing or passed out. A mantrin tried to run from the smoke only to be tripped. She hit the sand and rolled in time to see her assailant's rifle come down on her head. BR  
Vlah'do and Azure were caught in the cloud as well and had passed out.BR  
Where are the other two squemetan? He looked through his goggles, which he had toned down to see body heat, at the scene. He saw six bodies laying in the sand, but none where squemetan. They've escaped! No! I can't let them escape. He saw tracks and quickly followed them. BRBR  
  
Schin was running. "Hey! Schin! What are you doing? Come back!" Negyr ran after him. Schin stopped for breath and Negyr caught up. "What are you doing?"BR  
"Didn't you 'ear?"BR  
"Hear what?"BR  
"The gunshot! The yelling!"BR  
"How do you know that isnt just Bild shooting at some animal?"BR  
"Itsh not! They've gone and done demshelves in!"BR  
"What are you talking about?"BR  
"Shomeone's been following ush Negyr! 'E'sh been killing people. Where did Wandrin, Ghassedt and Rohghrun go eh? I'll wager dey've been killed! We 'ave to get away! Dere'sh a city over der. If'n we can get der we'd be shafe!"BR  
"I can't believe it. Your mad! Let's just go back and see about that!"BR  
"No! You don't shee! De're gone! Deaden! Done in! Dere'sh no one left! Jusht trusht me on dish one!"BR  
"Fine, I was getting tired of taking orders from that puffed up mantrin. Let's go to the city."BR  
"Aye, let'sh." BRBR  
  
They continued on walking at a casual pace on Negyr's insistance. He could see that Schin was extremely aggitated but didn't pay any heed. They walked through the serene forest seemed to imply that there were no worries and so Negyr continued walking oblivious to the danger around him.BR  
After a long time of walking they left the forest and came to a clearing. On the horizon a city loomed in the distance. "You see?" Negyr said. "We're next to the city and so we're safe, don't worry."BR  
"I am worrying. I don't dink dat we'd be shafe until we're out of the open. I shay that onsh we get to- AAAAH!"BR  
Negyr turned to see Schin fall. He heard a buzz and felt a terrible pain on the back of his head that caused him to fall. He layed behind a small hill with Schin next to him, bleeding to death. This is it. He thought. I should have listened to Schin. Now I'm dead. I'm going to die here with my friend! He stirred. He put his hands on the back of his head and felt wetness. What's this? I'm not dead? He looked at his hands. They had blood on them.   
Schin stirred next to him. "'E gotcha mate. But tish only your attenae! I'm not sho lucky..." BR  
Negyr turned to see his fallen comrade. A gaping hole was carved through his abdomen. "I'm done for mate. Get to da shity and leave me to die in peash!"BR  
"No!" He said. "I'll save you or die together!" He tried to grab Schin's collar but his hand coursed with pain upon coming in contact with him. He gasped. "Derilai!" He cursed. BR  
"It'sh okay mate. I undershtand."BR  
"No! I'll get you out of here if it's the last thing I do." He reached into Schin's pocket and extracted a piece of rope. He tied the rope around Schin's torso and put it around his shoulders. "I'll drag you all the way to the city if I have to!"BR  
"Blessh yer mate..." His voice trailed off and he feel unconsious.BRBR  
  
I must have gotten them. I saw his head snap back and blood fly. They must both be dead or else they would have gotten up and left by now. Thank you. My work is complete. He turned and walked back to the group.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do was roused by a wave or cool water washing over him. He suddenly panicked and started blubbering. His vision was foggy and he couldn't make out the figure in front of him. He blinked many times until his eyes cleared and he saw who his savior was.BR  
The akrennian stared back at him. He was old, with a fading skin hue and sharp eyes. His sinewy arms grasped a bucket that he lowered after splashing its contents on Vlah'do. BR  
"What the...Who...?"BR  
The man smiled at him. "Hold still. Rest, I'll be back to you." He went to Azure and roused her recieving a similiar reaction. BR  
He had already untied both of them. He helped Azure up and brought everyone together before adressing them.BR "Name? Clan?" He asked flatly.BR  
Azure sneezed water out of her nostrils and rubbed her neck gingerly. "Azure, Yar...Ugh....Guess we're not in Kansas anymore, huh?" She chuckled, noting a confused look from both other Akrennians. "Old Earth movie." She grimaced and felt around her neck, locating bruises and the thin, although very painfull, cut that ran around her neck.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth surveyed the land carefully. "Well I remember a lotta rocks...And we were on the beach when we were captured..." He murmered. "Should we get out and look for tracks?" He asked, glancing up at the rest of the group. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The man introduced himself after casting a mutual odd glance at Azure. "I am Habbek of the clan of Vades'Slos." He was tall and muscular, yet slender and sinewy. His eyes were small and green and they stood out on his face which was accented by his long ears, the left of which had a large hole in it. He was brown with grey patches. "Please introduce yourself young man."BR  
Vlah'do adressed Habbek. He suddenly became very formal and made a slight bow. "I am Vlah'do of the Kodah clan."BR  
"Kodah?" Habbek cocked his head to one side. "Tell me, is your mother a woman by the name of... Chewel?"BR  
"Yes."BR  
Habbek stood agast, distracted with his thoughts. She was not just an aquaintance. "Gods..." He said in a whispered tone. "The old @#%$ has a son!"BR  
Vlah'do was suddenly dumbfounded! "Umm... excuse me?" He stammered.BR  
Habbek was brought back to reality. He disregarded Vlah'do's last statement entirely. "Who is your father?"BR  
"His name is Preed but he..."BR  
"Preed?" He asked, incredulously. "Preed Noname? No way... that is too odd..."BR  
"Am I missing something?" Vlah'do asked inquisitively.BR  
"Never mind. You two must be very hungery and tired. Please come to my house for lunch."BR  
Azure felt her neck and touched the small cuts gingerly. "We'd be delighted." BR  
"Where do you live?" Vlah'do asked.BR  
"I live by myself in a house outside of Nami Muro. It is only a short walk from here. Thank the gods for that too, else I wouldn't have been able to come to your aid very quickly."BR  
"We have much to say to each other." Vlah'do said flatly.BR  
"Indeed we do." Habbek glanced at Azure, "Are you badly injured?"BR  
"No, I am okay."BR  
"Let us get started then. It is not a long distance. Follow me."BR  
"Wait," Azure said. "My mate, Hoth, will be looking for me. He's probably back on the IArchAngel/I hovering around."BR  
"Why didn't you say so?" He took a small canister from his vest and pulled the pin on it. Immediately a plume of bright orange smoke billowed out. He tossed it aside. "Now if your mate is in an aircraft anywhere nearby he'll be able to see this smoke signal and hopefully come land. We'll wait here then. Come see what I've done with your captors."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild woke groggily to the same sight that Azure and Vlah'do had; Habbek standing over him. He was tied to a tree with his arms behind his back and feet restrained. Habbek smacked him in the face until he came around fully. "You scumy pond parasite! You've gone and slaughtered my loverly crew!"BR  
"No!" Habbek replied gruffly. "I haven't slaughtered your crew. Some of them are still alive."BR  
"What do you want with me then?"BR  
"I come to you with a proposition. You can leave New Earth and serve as an example to those who would do likewise, or you can come with me to the local authorities and they'll deal with you."BR  
"You coward!" Bild sunddenly said. Habbek looked surprised. "You're nothing without that big gun of yours! I'll wager you couldn't hold your own in a *real* fight!"BR  
Habbek was insulted. He had never expected this, but he was ready. "If that's what you think then I accept your immenant challenge."BR  
"To the death!" Bild said bodly.BR  
"As you wish." Habbek responded flatly.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hikori pointed to a monitor. "Captain, I see something... unusual."BR  
"What's that?" Hoth asked.BR  
"An orange smoke trail." Hoth came along side Hikori and looked at the monitor. "What do you suggest we do?"BR  
"I think it's some sort signal... maybe."BR  
Hikori had already set the ship's course and they headed towards the signal.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure had scrambled up a tree and was perched in some of the branches, watching the skies. "No sign of them yet." She yelled down below her, returning her gaze to the clear blue skies of New Earth. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Habbek untied Bild after handing Vlah'do his large particle beam rifle. He and Vlah'do both knew that he wouldn't be able to handle the weapon, but Bild didn't and that's all that mattered. "If this fisa trut makes ONE false move, blast him. If he kills me then let him leave."BR  
Bild smirked. "So what'll it be mate? Knives? Swords? Blaster? Or bare hands?"BR  
Habbek shrugged nonchalantly. "Choose your weapon." BR  
"Only weapon I'd ever choose is right here." He unsheathed his katana and pointed it at Habbek.BR  
"Right, that's it then."BR  
Bild stared at him incredulously. "You mean your going to fight me sword bare-handed?"BR  
Habbek's eyes narrowed. "I dont need a weapon fool. You are not a fighter, you are just a bully."BR  
Bild laughed at this insult. "So be it man! It's your grave!" He charged.BR  
With his katana held at chest level and pointed straight at Habbek, he dashed to clear the space between the two of them. Habbek held his ground until the last instant. He jumped to one side and grabbed Bild's arm and jabbed his elbow into Bild's biceps, simultanieously loosening his grip and knocking the sword free. He kicked Bild in the stomach and sent him stumbling backwards in the sand. BR  
Bild was caught completely off guard. This old man had just humiliated him and made him lose his sword. He once again charged with his fists clenched. Habbek once again stood his ground. In one fluid motion, he tripped him, bent down, grabbed his knee and arm and flipped him over his head with his shoulders in a digging motion. Bild flew off his feat and landed hard on his back in the sand. BRBR  
  
Habbek stepped on his head, turning his face sideways in the sand and stabbed the katana on the ground in front of his face. "You couldn't hold your own in a duel with an unarmed man. You prey on the weak and helpless, that is what I call a coward. You don't deserve to live." He moved the blade against Bild's neck. "But I'm not going to lower myself to your level." He flipped the katana expertly in the air and wielded the end, knocking Bild out with the hilt of the long sword.BR  
Vlah'do had watched the whole scene in admiration. He couldn't believe it. He had thought that Habbek was crazy to accept such a challenge. It was a twist of fate that he had won. Or was it? Either way, Vlah'do knew that he had found favor with the gods. "What are you going to do with him?" He said pointing at Bild.BR  
Habbek smiled malevolently. "I have special plans for him. We need to teach his kind a lesson they won't forget. Ideally, he will tell those like him and spread the word."BR  
"So your not going to kill him?"BR  
"No. Just... punish."BRBR  
  
Azure landed at the base of her tree with a muffled thump. She grunted and straightened from her crouch. "Punish can mean a lot of things..." She murmered. "And after seeing that I know I don't wanna piss you off." She said, raising an eyeridge at Bild's still form.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
  
The ArchAngel descended on the shore with a scattering of sand. The plank was lowered and Hoth ran down it before the ship was even on the ground. Hoth jumped the remainder of the distance and landed knee deep in the sand. Hikori followed him as he bounded across the sand. "Just wait here. We will be back shortly." Hikori called as he shouldered his pack and headed after Hoth. BR  
Karn and Vadhis stood in the doorway watching their trek from the ship. Karn had been able to predict what Vadhis was thinking. After a long moment of silence, Vadhis spoke. "I can't stay here Karn."BR  
Karn cocked his head inquizzatively. "Oh?"BR  
"I must leave."BR  
Karn was not fooled for a second. He knew Vadhis' intentions. He grasped Vadhis' wrist in bad him farewell. "Good luck Vadhis, may you find peace on the journey ahead of you and your new life..." Vadhis left the ship and headed down the beach, leaving Karn to watch departure. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Bild cursed himself even before he was fully consious. How could I have been so stupid? I let an unarmed man defeat me! Now all is lost! His moan was met with a chorus of others and he opened his eyes. He saw the remnant of his crew, laying along side him. He tried to get up but his feet and hands were restricted. He looked to see his hands tied to a nearby tree and his feet tied to those of the others. "What the blue blazes..." All their feet were tied together in the center of a cirlce and all others were restrained in a likewise manner.BR  
"So your up? You great lunkhead! Look what you've got us into!" Sovwren said in a healthfully irate tone. BR  
"Is that you Sovwren?"BR  
"Yes its me, you fool!"BR  
"What happened?"BR  
"We were overtaken by someone and bound. He came over earlier and gave us an ear roughing along with that you see down there." She gestured towards his feet.   
Bild looked at his feet and his face was suddenly plastered with a terrified expression! "A bomb!" BR  
In the middle of the circle of feet was a small grey rectangular box with a timer on the center. The counter read ten minutes and thirty seconds. "We gotta get out of here afore that thing goes off!"BR  
"That's what we've been trying to do you meathead!"BR  
"Dont just sit there gabbing then! Help me get these ropes undone!" Bild wiggled his feet in an attempt to free himself. "Now, if you'll just move your feet a little to the left there Frahkir... no, not *that* left, the *other* left..."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Captain...Please...Slow down..." Hikori panted, trying to keep up with Hoth's pace. Hoth looked about to collapse himself but he wasn't letting that stop him.   
"Hoth! Wait..." Hikori yelled, not even getting a reaction. Hoth pulled far ahead of him, taking the closest thing to a beeline for the orange plume of smoke.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure leaned against what she had mentally proclaimed 'her' tree, at least for the time being. She could comfortably sit between two of the larger roots and had been darting up and down it every once in a while like some sort of weird blue squirrel for the past hour. Her ears suddenly perked and she looked over her shoulder, cocking her head. BR  
"I think someone's coming fellas." She said, blinking. She again hefted herself into her tree, squinting in the sunlight and looking down into the underbrush. BR  
"Yep, comin' straight for us!" She yelled down at Vlah'do and Habbek. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth burst from the underbrush like a ravenous animal, his eyes darting in search of Azure. He was oblivious to the other two Akrennians' presence. "Azure?! Azure!" He looked up the tree and waved his arms frantically. BR  
"Hoth! Where in the Gods' names did you go off to?" Azure asked, quickly exiting the tree.BR  
Hoth quickly pounced on her, searching for injury as he showed affection by nudging her cheek with the tip of his muzzle. "Az! Are you alright? Gods...." He fretted, flinching at her neck, his ears flattened dramatically.BRBR  
  
"Hoth, calm yourself. I'm fiiiine. Really." Azure rolled her eyes, flicking her ears. "Seems I should be the one worrying, looked at yourself in a mirror lately?" BR  
Hoth ignored her comment and nudged her cheek again. Azure sighed, rolled her eyes again, and pushed him away gently. "Vlah'do you've already met. This is Habbek." She waved a hand in the direction of the said Akrennian. "He liberated us from our captors, to put it poetically."BR  
Hoth lowered his head respectfully, allowing his ears to come all the way forward. "Hoth, previously of the Nyro clan." He said quickly.BR  
"Don't worry, he isn't a drug addict or a pimp. He just likes coffee...Okay so maybe he's a little addicted to his coffee...But he's a good mate!" Azure said helpfully, earning herself a roll of Hoth's eyes. BR  
"Az, please, not now." Hoth pleaded, looking exasperated. BRBR  
  
Hikori chose that moment to practically fall at their feet. "Told you...To....Wait...Captain..." He gasped out, sinking to his knees under Azure's tree.BR  
"Ahh! This is Hikori, Karu clan. Our pilot. Hikori, this is Vlah'do and this is Habbek." Azure grinned at him without missing a beat, waving a hand at him. She bent and helped the winded near albino to his feet. BR  
Habbek greeted Hoth stiffly. "I am Habbek." He said flatly and nodded slightly. "Of Vades'Slos. Greetings."BR  
Hoth released Azure and practically fell at his feet. He bowed as low as he could. "I can't thank you enough."BR  
Habbek smiled dully. "No problem." I was glad for an excuse... It's not that he was a hateful person, it was that he had built up a hatred for Squemetan; he had to, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pull the trigger as many times as he did. BRBR  
  
Hoth felt awkward as well, he wasn't used to being grateful, but Habbek wasn't used to recieving gratitude and so it worked out well. Habbek broke the silence. "I would be honored to have you over to my house for lunch."BR  
"How could we reject?" Hoth said enthusiastically.BR  
"I will tend to your wounds and give you any supplies you may need. Talk with me while we walk, it's not far from here. Tell me, what are you doing in the middle of no where on New Earth?"BR  
"We'll explain that in a minute. Let's get back to the ship and get Karn and Vadhis."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The pitiful circle of mantrin captives had not been able to get free from the oppressive knots and were now starting to panic. Writhing bodies wriggled in the sand in an attempt to free themselves as the timer counted down. It was at five minutes when Vadhis appeared out of the bushes.BR  
"Vadhis! Vadhis me old mate! Your free!"BR  
Vadhis looked at Bild disdainfully and continued walking. He and took out a knife and started cutting the rope around a mantrin female named Prayurna's arms. BR  
"That's it Vadhis! Cut us lose!" Bild said enthusiastically. BR  
He helped Prayurna to her feet and headed away. BR  
"HEY!" Bild shouted. "Where do you think your going?"  
"I'm leaving. WE'RE leaving."BR  
"You back-biting, theiving, coniving, back-stabbing, ungrateful caelacanth!"BR  
Vadhis didn't pay any attention as he lead Prayurna away. BR  
"Misfortune and bad health follow you! Curses on you and your mother!" Bild yelled until his face turned red.   
Vadhis was out of hearing.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The IArchAngel/I stood delicately on it's struts, stretching halfway across the whole beach, which was a fair good distance. Nearly half a mile long. The IArchAngel/I was a huge ship, by any standards. It held three levels, the bottom level was split between a cavernous cargo bay and the engine room. BR  
The second level was the main area, a single hallway ran the length of the ship from cockpit to tail. The hyperdrive thrusters took up a good amount of the tail end. Along the main hallway most of the rooms lined up. At the rear was the kitchen, across from that was the rec. room. Beside the rec. room but outside it, were the two staircases to go into either the upper or lower levels. Residing on the kitchen's side of the hallway was also the bathroom and airlock. BR  
The whole upper-most level was oval shaped, with one hallway circling the whole thing. The first room you'd come to was the infirmary, then a couple supply rooms and a couple spare guest rooms which had started life as supply rooms as well. BRBR  
  
On the outside the ArchAngel looked like a piece of space trash, it's dulled and aged hull glinted very faintly in the sunlight, but inside it looked nearly like new.BR  
"So good to be home." Azure smiled. Hoth nodded vaguely, giving the hull a once over with his eyes. BR  
"We still need to fix that -" He started, but Azure quickly cut him off.BR  
"Hoth, your turn to give it a rest. Eegads." She rolled her eyes. She turned to look at the rest of their small rag-tag group. "Well, since you're here may as well save a trip and simply eat here, eh?" She grinned. BR 


	4. Habbek's House

***BRBR  
  
Karn left the ship and greeted them on the shore. BR"Karn!" said Vlah'do. "Good to see you safe friend!" He calsped wrists with Karn. BR  
"You should have known that space pirates weren't enough to stop me." He said with false bravado. BR  
"You old bluffer."BR  
"Old? I'm only one year older than you!"BR  
Hoth interupted them. "Where's the other one?"  
BR  
"You mean Vadhis?" Karn asked. "He's... left."BR  
"Left?" Hoth cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"BR  
"He left." Karn said nervously.BR  
"You LET him leave?" BR  
"Well, yes."BR  
Hoth stared incredilously at Karn. He knew that this wasn't the time for contentions and so he dropped the subject, giving Karn a glare. BRBR  
  
"I see that you are well supplied and have enough food for yourselves, but nonetheless I would enjoy your company and like it if you would join me for lunch." BR  
All of a sudden Azure realized that he wasn't just extending kindness, but asking a favor. She saw how lonely Habbek must have been. "We'd be glad to." She said, keeping it to herself. BR  
Habbek's face brightened. "You won't regret it. I've taught myself to cook well in the past few years, though I do say so myself. I will serve some of the local delicasses."BR  
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to join the crew of the IArchAngel/I? Because we're in need of a decent cook." Hoth joked, recieving a jab in the ribs from Azure.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
"Vadhis! Stop! What do you think you're doing?" Vadhis had met stiff resistance from Prayurna and had to practically drag her, using his full strength to keep her in line. BR  
"I'm saving you, that's what I'm doing!"BR  
"Saving me?"BR  
"Yes! How long do you think that we could have lasted in the crew?"BR  
"I was having a fine time."BR  
"It couldn't have lasted. We would have gotten killed or arrested or something."BR  
"No way! How long has Bild been doing that? Years! Probably while you were still jumping on your mother's shins!"BR  
"Prayurna," Vadhis turned to her. "What are you looking for in life?"BR  
She thought for a minute. "I guess what we're all looking for is happiness."BR  
"Exactly. You thought that you needed money for this, but how long can you remain happy when you are making other's suffer?"BR  
"Vadhis, you are a romantic, a fool and a dreamer."BR  
"Maybe that's why you love me so much."BR  
She turned to him. Her life was a mess, she had sought hapiness in the wrong place when it was right underneath her nose the entire time. Comfort was needed, she hugged Vadhis tightly and started to cry, realizing that she did love him. They sunk to their knees and continued their embrace. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
"Y'know...Where'd our skiff go?" Azure suddenly asked, looking around with a comically perplexed expression.   
Hoth shrugged. "I dunno, but I don't think the pirates took it.."BR  
Azure shrugged back at him instead of responding. "Hmm...Well before we go we should tell the rest of the crew that we're okay, probably confused the daylights out of 'em."BR  
Hoth nodded. "Didn't have time to explain anything."BR  
"Oh Gods...Nemo! I can't believe I forgot - Ye Gods!" Azure smacked herself in the head and sprinted up the ramp. BR  
Hoth gave a look that conveyed a silent appology before racing after her.BRBR  
  
"Nemo is their son." Hikori informed Vlah'do and Habbek calmly. "And if I'm not mistaken you're about to meet the rest of the crew, most likely at the exact same time." The corners of his mouth flickered up slightly before returning to their neutral position.BR  
Two minutes after he said this a light grey Akrennian's head poked out of the dark hole which was the entrance to the ship. She cocked her head and blinked before cautiously wandering down the ramp and silently greeting Hikori, casting slightly fearfull glances at Vlah'do and Habbek. Hikori reassured her that they were friends and she was more at ease once she heard this. BR  
"This is Lirpa, my mate. She cannot speak..." Hikori said in his normal tone, although he frowned slightly.BRBR  
  
During Lirpa's introduction a whole gaggle of other Akrennian's and one human poured from the ship like a living river. Azure and Hoth amongst them. BR  
  
Azure found her way to the front and quickly introduced each of them in turn, skipping over their clans.   
"Yavin,"BR  
A HUGE black Akrennian at the back of the group ducked his head and smiled, waving. "Hello." He boomed.BR  
"Hunroo,"BR  
A young Akrennian gave a skeptical glance and a nod before looking back at some sort of gizmo he was playing with.BR  
"Jecka," Azure pointed out the Akrennian next to him, they were obviously related by the way Jecka flicked the smaller Akrennian's ear and pointed to the two newcomers with a frown. Hunroo glanced at her and chose to ignore her attempt to get him to socialize...BR  
"Pleased to meet you sirs." The albino female said in a familiarly calm tone.BRBR  
  
"Nemo," Azure put her hand on the shoulder of another young Akrennian who was reddish brown in color, fading into black ears.BR  
Nemo grinned cheerfully. "Hi!"BR  
"Iris," Azure gestured at a rather short green akrennian.BR  
Iris cocked her head but smiled, staring blankly past everyone and into the tree line as her ears pricked. "Greetings to ye."BR  
"She's blind." Azure informed, explaining the green akrennian's blank stare. BR  
"Aye, but not deaf. Treat Lirpa an' I as ye would any other, we've come a bit too far t'be treated specially." Iris chuckled, closing her eyes since it made most nervous to look at them. Lirpa nodded in agreement, smiling.BR  
"And this is Rekk!" Azure beamed, pointing out the sole human of the gang. BR  
Rekk grinned and waved. "Heya, guies." BRBR  
  
Habbek was touched by this warm greeting. "I wish I could take you ALL to my house for some lunch, but I don't have a very big house." He greeted Nemo who was nearest him. "Tell me young man, do you know what pizza is?"BR  
Nemo jumped up. "Yes!"BR  
"Do you like it?"BR  
Nemo jumped again. "Yes!"BR  
"Would you like to have some for lunch at my house?"BR  
"YES! YES! YES!"BR  
"Is it okay with your mom?"BR   
Nemo turned to Azure. "Can I come with you to Mr.Habbek's house for pizza?"BR  
"Yes you can." Azure said fondly. BR  
Habbek was delighted. "Please then, tell your crew and get what you need so that you can come and dine with me." BR  
Azure went into the ship and gave explicit instructions to various members of the crew before preparing herself and heading off the ship into the forest with Hoth, Hikori, Lirpa, Iris, Nemo, Vlah'do, and Karn. BRBR  
  
Habbek led the group through the forest. "So, what are you people doing here?"BR  
Azure looked to Vlah'do for the explanation. "Well," He said. "We came here on a diplomatic mission to the Nami Muro Wildlife Organization."BR  
Karn spoke up. "You see, a while back, before old Earth was destroyed, we started a dolphin breeding program back on Tahu-Dzo which was very successful. However, when Earth was destroyed, the program stopped and was left alone because of diplomatic problems and lack of communications. Now we want to start again but we need a few more specimens."BR  
"Why do you want dolphins?" Habbek asked.BR  
"They have many practical uses. They can help in the fishing industry, trained to be life guards, they can even be house hold pets. Keep in mind that Tahu-Dzo is almost entirely water."BR  
"Very interesting. So now you need government consent huh?"BR  
"That's right."BR  
The trip continued with friendly conversation being exchanged between all. The forest eventually faded into a large wide open grass plain. In the distance was a city that hugged the coast. "That," Said Habbek. "Is Nami Muro!"BRBR  
  
They took the subtransit system once inside the city limits. Habbek was right, it wasn't a long walk. The shuttle brought them to a terminal outside his house. It was a small, quaint house with a small green yard with no fences or borders anywhere. It was well kept but cozy. BR  
He motioned for them to step inside the house. "Come on in. I will have the food ready shortly." He saw his neighbor next door pushing a small machine around his yard. "Just wait inside for a minute, I'll be right there." BR  
Everyone entered the house and sat on the furniture. Nemo looked a little excited. "It's been a while since I've had some good cooking." He said quietly, but not quiet enough for Azure to not hear him. BR  
She buffeted him lightly and jokingly on the back of the head. "What are you trying to say?"BR  
"Iris doesn't cook as often as I'd like her to."BR  
Azure chased him around the house in a playful fashion.BRBR  
  
"Hey! You!" Habbek yelled at his neighbor. He was an odd sight. He had long doubled up knees and a muzzle and a short tail. He was light grey and tall and slim unlike a mantrin, but had mantrin features. He was a mantrennian.   
He stopped his machine and looked over at Habbek. "Yes?"BR  
"What do you think you're doing?"BR  
"Huh?"BR  
"You're cutting my side of the grass!" BR  
He gave Habbek a cheesy grin. "I just thought that you'd like a little help, I mean at your age..."BR  
"My age? Look who talking old one!"BR  
"Respect your elders!" He said sarcastically.BR  
"Pacal, you great lunk!"BR  
"Habbek you old fool! How've you been?"BR  
Pacal left his side of the yard and gave Habbek a warm hand shake. "I've had a rough night. But I have some guests over for lunch. Would you like to join us?"BR  
"That depends," Pacal said smiling. "What are you having and who cooked it?"BR  
Habbek punched him playfully in the arm. "I cooked it. And don't go joking about my cooking, I've been making my own food for a long time."BR  
"Yeah, and now look at you!" That remark earned a slightly harder punch. BR  
"Bah! Quiet you! Anyway, we are having pizza, ramen noodles, chicken and rice, salad and spaghetti and to drink I made this new kind of juice."BR  
"Sounds great!" Pacal said sincerly. He was hardly ever serious, but Habbek had learned how to judge when he was for real and when he was joking. "but I really have some work to do, the yard needs some work and then there's that big report that we have to get started on..."BR  
"I'm going to make some of my 'better than love' chocolate cake!"BR  
"I'm there!" Pacal said enthusiastically. He put his hand around his good friend's shoulders and walked with him to the house.BRBR  
  
Iris' ears swiveled as she carefully stepped out of the way of Azure, who had by now captured Nemo and now had her unfortunate son in a headlock. Iris listened carefuly to the echoes and picked her way around furniture.BR  
"AGH! Mooooom!" Nemo laughed, half gagging and trying to escape her grasp, half enjoying it.BR  
Azure grinned evilly and ruffled his head fur, brushing it in the wrong direction.BR  
"AKK!" Nemo gasped, since fur going the wrong way is an odd feeling indeed.BRBR  
  
Hikori coughed softly. "Azure, you may want to wait until you've reached the ship once more to continue this...After all you both have a tendancy to break things..."BR  
Azure released Nemo, who busilly straightened his fur with a mock glare. BR  
"Yeah, guess you're right. When we get back home kiddo you and me are gonna be locked in a deathmatch." Azure grinned in a jokingly threatening manner.BR  
Lirpa hid a smile behind a hand, Hoth rubbed the back of his neck and frowned slightly.BR  
"Could ya maybe do that outside?" He asked.BR  
"They could, but that'd take the fun out of it, am I right in thinking so, lad?" Iris chuckled.BR  
"Yes." Nemo grinned.BR  
"Oh Gods..." Hoth rubbed his neck again. BRBR  
  
Habbek entered his house with Pacal to a most peculiar sight; Azure with a death grip on Nemo's leg who was despereately trying to flee the friendly fight with his mom. Hikori had tried to calm them down but had given up after a short time and let them continue, occasionally reminding them not to break things. Habbek and Pacal gave them both a strange look before Azure released his leg and straightened herself out while Nemo ran off and his himself behind a couch. BR  
"Uh, this is Pacal. A good friend of mine and a co-worked from the lab. He will be dining with us tonight. Try to entertain him while I prepare the meal," He smiled at Nemo and Azure. "Though I'm sure that won't be an issue." He turned and left to the kitchen. BR  
Although everyone tried to be polite, and succeeded, Pacal could tell that everyone was staring at him. He smiled meekly and greeted who appeared to be the leader. "Hello, I'm Pacal." BR  
Hoth shoke his extended hand. "Hello. I am Hoth and this is my mate Azure and our son Nemo." BR  
Nemo smiled and greeted him enthusiastically. "Hi!"BR  
Hoth resumed the introductions. "And these are our friends and fellow crew members Hikori and his mate Lirpa. And finally our newly accquianted companions, Karn and Vlah'do."BR  
"It's really nice to meet you all." BR  
Nemo interupted him. "Excuse me Mr.Pacal? What are you?" He meant no disrespect by asking the question, but in fact was still rather innocent to such things. Pacal knew this and laughed.BR  
"I am what you would call a mantrennian. You see, my mother was an akrennian and my father was a mantrin."BR  
"Wow!" Said Nemo. "You must have lots of fun!"BR  
"What do you mean?" asked Pacal.BR  
"Well, you've got matrin legs, so you'd be able to play sports better than an akrennian, but you can do all the other stuff that akrennians are good at! Like..." Nemo sniffed. "smelling good food!" BR  
Pacal was thouroughly amused. Actually, this changed his entire perspective. "I guess you're right." He looked around at the happy group and couldn't help but want to talk to them. "Tell me," He said. "How did you guys come to meet old Habbek there?"BR  
Azure put her hand on his shoudler. "Sit down and I'll tell you the whole story."BRBR  
  
"Ach," Iris said after sitting in the living room for a while. "I cannot sit here while that delicious smell fills my nostrils. I think I'll go and make myself busy in the kitchen." She got up out of her chair and headed into the kitchen.BR  
It was a mess! A pot on the stove slowly bubbled over, its foam sizzling when coming into contact with the burner, a box of pasta slung its neglected contents across the counter, a frying pan with rice sizzled, various containers cluttered the counters and a bag of flour had spilt on the flour, making a white messy pile on the floor that Iris scattered with her upon entering the kitchen.BR  
Habbek turned to see her enter. He had not changed or put on an apron and had spilt flour and some oil on his shirt. BR  
"Excuse me. Are you lost?" He asked.BR  
"Nay, I've come to see if I can help ye."BR  
"Umm, thanks but I think i've got it under control." BR  
"Nay, that rice's burning a little." She moved next to Habbek and took the rice off of the stove and stirred it with a ladel. Habbek stared in amazement as she moved around in the kitchen with effortless ease. "Thanks." He said, dumbfounded. BR  
Iris smiled. "I can tell you are surprised. Like I told ye before, treat me as ye would any other."BR  
"Yeah, I know. But..." Habbek was ashamed. "I'm sorry."BR  
"You're pasta's boiling over." She said nonchalantly and lifted the pot's lid.BRBR  
  
Iris felt her way cautiously along the counter.   
"If ye're goin' t'cook large meals ye should set ev'rything up first. Then start t' cook. Seems yer doin' it the other way 'round." She smiled, picking up on where everything was by touch, hearing, and scent. BR  
"Ye 'ave this and this..." She pointed out the two particular dishes out, "Done." She perked her ears and quickly flattened one of them, wrinkling her snout and sneezing to the side. "And that would be burnin' right now..." She grimaced, pointing at a pot, which indeed was begining to shed smoke out it's lid. BR  
Habbek hurried around the stove and took the pot off, quickly stirring its contents. Fortunately, the pasta hadn't turned to a gluey mess and stuck to the bottom of the pan. "Bah!" He said. BR  
"'Tis not ruined is it?" BR  
"No." BR  
Iris helped Habbek in what she could, but she could tell that he was one who preferred to work alone. "Say, could you reach me the..." Iris looked in his direction. BR"Never mind. Would you mind taking care of this rice while I get the strainer?"BR  
"Not at all. 'Tis what I'm here for."   
Their paths crossed and for a moment Habbek stared into her face. "Your eyes." He said, without even thinking. He probably would have thought it a bad thing to say, had he been thinking.BR  
Iris closed her eyes, embarrassed. BR  
Habbek, sensing her distress, says, "No! I mean, their beautiful!"BR  
Iris opened her eyes again. "Oh," she said in mock irratation. "You're just saying that..."BR  
"No! I mean it. They're like..." Like a overcast sky on a fall day, the surface of the full moon, like a nebula. Isntead of telling her this, he walked past her to the cupboard and got out the strainer.BRBR  
  
Iris raised an eyeridge and flicked an ear, not sure what to make of him. She decided to let it slide by and instead turned all her attention to the rice.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure finished and was nearly out of breath, not mention she'd been interupted by everyone wanting to tell their own part. "and that's how it happened...Now we're here." She smiled, looking a tad bit sheepish. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Habbek poured the pasta out of the pot with steam billowing out and rising to the roof. In one long sluuuuurp the pasta moved out of the pot and into the strainer in the sink. Gods! he thought, What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking at all! He was mad at himself for having lost his restaint, even if it was for only a moment, and saying what he did. He mentally kicked himself and decided to leave it alone.BR  
"Um, could you do me a favor?"BR  
Iris turned. Is that... weariness I see on her face? "Yes?"BR  
"Could you take care of that rice while I set the table?"BR  
"Of course." She busied herself while Habbek left the room to set the table. BR  
Clink! Clank! Habbek hurriedly placed the dishes around the table. "Hmm, looks like we're going to need another table." He hurried upstairs among the amiable conversation in the living room and got another smaller table to put along side the long table in the dining room. BR  
Pacal, lost in idle conversation, looked up to see Habbek trying to lug the table down the stairs by himself. "Excuse me." He said politely and bounded up the stairs to his aid.BR  
"Trying to cary this massive table down the stairs by yourself? Looks like someone either doesn't know their own strength or their age..." He sniggered.BR  
Habbek smiled. "Very funny mr. comedian. Are you going to help me or just jest about my age for a while, O' feeble one?"BR  
"Feeble?" Pacal flexed his arms sarcastically. "In my day I could lift more kilos than anyone else my age!"  
BR  
"All right, all right. Just help me with this thing okay?"BR  
The two took the table down the stairs and into the dining room. Habbek wiped his brow and rested his elbow on the large wooden table. "What do you think of my friends?" He asked casually.BR  
"They're really nice, but what concerns me is how you met them. Habbek, I thought you were through with all that?" BR  
"Pacal, you know as well as I do that it needed to be done."BR  
"Yeah, but you haven't used a gun in ages, much less killed anyone!"BR  
"It was the only way Pacal."BR  
He looked at Habbek sternly, and he knew that Pacal wasn't kidding. "I'm dissapointed, but I'll take your word on this."BR  
"Thanks." Habbek headed back to the kitchen to get the utensils and continue setting the tables.  
When he got back in the kitchen, he saw the rice and pasta laid out on the counter, ready to be served. Iris casually sipped a ladel of sauce, stared pensively into space and then mix in some more spices. All the food was finished except the sauce and the cake, which was to be a surprise. "Wow!" Iris didn't turn her head to Habbek because she already knew he was in the room. "You... finished everything!"BR  
"Aye, I'm sorry about the sauce though."BR  
Habbek cocked his head, though this gesture was unseen. "What's wrong with it?"BR  
"I think I may have... double dipped."BR  
Habbek laughed. "How does it taste?" He scooped a ladel out from the drawer and tested the sauce. "Mmm... A minute ago this was ketchup. And now its... good! It's cuisine!"BR  
"Glad to be of help." Iris said. "Shall we set the table now?"BR  
"It's set, just need to put the food on, but I'll do that."BR  
"Nay, I think I can manage." BR  
"If you insist." Together they set the table.BRBR  
  
With everyone gathered around the table Hoth stared at all the good food and sniffed the tantalizing aroumas. "Now that has to be the best meal I've ever seen prepared in 45 minutes!"BR  
"Thank you, Iris was a big help." Habbek said. After watching all thier faces staring at the food hungrily, Habbek said. "Let's eat!"BR  
Forks clanked on plates and juice splashed into cups. Habbek looked up at all the smiling, content faces. So this is what it feels like, to have a family...BR  
Iris felt to the side of her plate and picked up her fork, slowly picking her way around her plate, making sure her utensil stayed in contact with it at all times for fear of stabbing down into the table.BR  
Azure gave Nemo a disapprooving look as he began to simply stuff himself. "Nemo...You'll make yourself sick..." She raised a warning eyeridge. Nemo looked up from a peice of pizza he was attempting to shove down his throat whole. He began to chew. Azure nodded at him and went on with her own meal. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
"Hey! I think I've got a foot loose!" Krahkrir the matrin said as he struggled with his bonds. Surely enough, his foot was free. BR  
"Good work! Now we can all get loose!" Once a gap was created, there was enough space between them all that they could all pull out their feet. The timer read one minute. BR  
"Work mates! Work! We've almost got ourselves free!" Eveyone tugged at their arm ropes to no avail. The counter clicked down. Every second hitting them like drops in chinese water torture. Finally, all realised that there it was useless.BR  
"Oh woe is me!" Criend one of the mantrins. "I'm gonna die and I never tasted cantaloupe!"BR  
"It's not so bad mate." said another. "Cantaloupe isn't that good. Now honey dew! There's the money melon."BR  
"Quiet you fools!" Bild yelled. "Can't you have a little dignity?"BR  
All were silent and stared at the small package od explosives and the timer's marquee that insesantley counted down to their immenant dooms!BR  
10...9...8...7...6...BR  
"Well, it's been a pleasure being your captain mates."BR  
5...4...3...2...1...BR  
fiiiiizzzzzzzz.....BR  
A small plume of smoke escaped the device. Bild looked at the timer in shock. A message scrolled across the screen.BR  
Ha! Look's like the joke's on you!BR  
Bild let out a cry of mixed anger and joy.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Pacal sat next to Nemo and was enjoying his company immensely. They talked like old friends, regardless of their age difference. "What are you going to be when you grow up?" Nemo asked, his face covered in pizza sauce.  
Pacal laughed. "Well, I think I've already grown up. I am what you call a meteorophysist."BR  
Nemo took his face out of his third slice of pizza. "What's that?"BR  
"Well, we work on atmoshpereic conditioning. As you probably know, this planet was created a while back, before you were born. At the beginning it needed a lot of work. Our job is to control the release of free oxygens into the atmosphere by a method invented by our friend Habbek. You see, there is a whole lot of hydrogen gas in the atmoshpere. Two hydrogen molecules, which make up a single atom of hydrogen gas, are not complete, and so they bond with the nearest element with the same amount of free shells open on the first orbital, they bond. The result of this is that the highly volatile gas is turned into water. You see? Two hydrogens and one oxygen."BR  
Nemo smiled at Pacal. He hadn't understood a word but it all seemed very interesting. "So you're in charge of the rain?"BR  
Pacal was thoroughly amused. "I guess you could say that." BRBR  
  
The conversation continued after all the food was gone. In the friendly atmoshphere and idle conversation Habbek almost forgot the most important thing of all. "The cake!" He jumped up and went into the kitchen to get it.  
Hoth slouched in his chair and stuck out his tongue. "Man, after all that eating I don't think I could stomach another bite..." Habbek brought in the pan and set it on the table next to Hoth. He stared at it, his mouth salivating despite his bulky stomach. "Well, maybe just one more bite." BR  
It looked delicious! There was a layer of crumbled cookie at the bottom. In the middle was a layer of chocoloate mousse which was toped by a coating of whipped cream. It was a desert well worth saving room for. BR  
Azure got the first piece and dug in eagerly. "Wow! What is this?"BR  
Habbek smiled. "You like it? It's called 'better than love' cake. It's cookie crust with chocolate mousse and whipped cream." Everyone happily dug in. It looked to be the perfect evening. BR  
All of a sudden, the lights went out. Habbek stood. "Hey! What the... Hmm..." BR  
Nemo made an alarmed squawk and grasped Azure in a death grip. BR  
Hoth nearly choked on his cake as he looked up, startled. Lirpa made a sound in her throat, cocking her head while Hikori simply looked up at the light fixture, blinking at it as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.BR  
Iris' ears flicked this way and that as she set down her fork, cocking her head, not being aware that the lights had gone out. BRBR  
  
Hoth rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness. "What happened?" BR  
Habbek felt around. "I don't know. Hoth, you're nearest the door, can you open it and get some light in?"BR  
"All right." Hoth groped the wall until he felt a light switch. He flicked it various times to no avail. He could see the door in the distance and headed towards it. BR  
With a resonating boom, a blinding flash enveloped the room and all inside. A large piece of the door hit Hoth in the chest and head and leveled him. He hit the ground with a grunt and the large wooden board on top of him.  
Boots hit the ground as men stomped into the room. Before the blinding glare had lessened, there were heavily armoured men at every corner of the room. A gunshot was heard, a voice yelled into the dark. "Police! Everyone down! Hands on your head!" BR  
In the darkness, Azure pulled Nemo and Iris to the ground where they both layed flat on their stomachs and covered the backs of their heads. From Azure's point of view everyone was on the ground. Where's Habbek? she thought.BR  
He had walked to the front of the room and now stood, like a monolith in the dark, among all the other prone figues, rubbing his eyes and trying to make out the introders. He stared into the dark at a rapidly approaching figure. "What the hell do you think you're-"BR  
A sharp current of pain coursed through his knee as the man in front of him kicked him hard which was followed by a grotesque snap. Habbek grunted and sank to his knees where he was subsequently struck with the butt of the man's rifle. He fell to his stomach.BR  
In one solid movement, the man replaced his rifle with a pistol, held it against Habbek's head and dug his knee into his back. "Habbek of Vades'Slos, you are under arrest for 7 counts of first degree murder. You have the right to remain silent..." His rights were recited to him as quickly as possible. BR  
Hoth was completely disoriented. He lifted the piece of wood from his face and stirred. He got to his knees, only to recieve a sharp kick in the back from someone behind him. "Stay on the ground! Hands on your head!" A voice behind him shouted. He felt a foot pressing down on his lower back and decided to submit. He placed his hands over his head. "This him?"BR  
"Yeah."BR  
"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent." Before he was done with the sentence, Hoth felt a hand grap the neck of his coat and drag him across the floor and out of the room. BR  
The man who had knocked Habbek was not strong enough to pull Habbek by himself. He shoved his pistol into his back. "Get up!" He commanded.BR  
"I cant." Habbek growled. "You broke my leg."BR  
The man looked down and saw a pool of blood gathering about his right knee. He hesitated for a second before motioning to another policeman and they dragged him across the floor and out of the room, leaving a small streak of burgundy blood across the carpet. BR  
Habbek tried to resist, but the two men had him at such a position that he couldn not. Their arms interlocked with his, making him unable to move them at all, his legs dragging at an angle. After a short sprint with Habbek between the two of them, he was tossed, still completely disoriented, into the back of an armored jeep. Without much of a hesistation, the jeep accelerated and took off. BR  
Habbek, somewhat tossed, took account of his immediate surroudings. The jeep was tightly packed. Next to him sat Vlah'do and Hoth who was somewhat beaten around the face and head. They really caught me off guard. Damn! That was fast!BRBR  
  
Hoth growled what must have been obsenities, thankfully not in basic. He rubbed his head. "What the **** is this all about?" He mumbled, feeling an insistent throb start up behind his eyes. "Seven counts of what? Murder?" He flicked his ears, which were now drooping to the sides on their own will. He felt a little sleepy but figured now wasn't a good time to nap.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure chanced to look up, realising that not all of them were there in an instant. She'd been consentrating on comforting Nemo and keeping Iris flat on the floor. "Hoth?" She cocked her head and let her eyes flit around the room. "****." She spat, Nemo whimpered and shruddered against her side. She petted his ears lightly and stood up. "****! ****! ****!" She stamped a foot on the floor, growling. Nemo whimpered again.BR  
Lirpa was sobbing into Hikori's chest, shivering. Hikori looked a little disturbed despite himself as he rubbed her shoulder. BR  
Iris pushed herself to her knees, and, making sure there wasn't anything above her head, stood. She flinched at a sharp ringing in her ears and flattened them. "Doesn't seem too good, lass, did ye hear what they were saying? Aye, this is some trouble indeed." She said, flinching again at the sound of her own voice.BR  
"So what d'we do?" Azure asked, growing nervously. Nemo clutched at her leg, mumbling something. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Vlah'do layed in his corner of the car, his mind racing. What had brought this? Surely the authorities couldn't have known that Habbek had killed the squemetan pirates! Even if they did, what were Hoth and he doing here? It all seemed like a mistake. Where were the authorities when we needed them? BR  
Habbek and Hoth talked quietly amongst themselves. "Habbek," Hoth said. "Do you think they know?"BR  
"Yes, he told me that I was under arrest for 6 counts of first degree murder. Even though I only killed 5 people. Which reminds me, when I was in the bush, I saw that some of the pirates were gathered around the body of another squemetan that I didn't kill. What heppened?"BR  
"I killed him. His name was Wandrin, he was holding me captive. It finally came to me and him in a fist fight. He pulled out a knife and stabbed me." He motioned to the large bandage that was concealed under his shirt on his right bicep. "That was the last thing he ever did though. I got him back. Which reminds me." Hoth pulled the knife from his pocket and handed it to Vlah'do.BR  
"You have this?" Vlah'do said, incredulously.BR  
"Yeah, they never searched me."BR  
Vlah'do looked at Habbek and Hoth in the eyes. "Now dont get any ideas. I think I can get us out of this. You forget, I am a diplomat."BR  
"Then you must have diplomatic immunity!" Habbek said excitedly.BR  
Vlah'do smiled. "Exactly. I'm sure that I can make them come to some agreement. You know, twist some political arms, pull some judical thumbs."BR  
"Vlah'do, you're a life saver!"BR  
"No Habbek, *you're* the life saver." BRBR 


	5. Awaiting Punishment

Azure grumbled to herself, ears flitting in every direction. "So what d'we do?" She asked again.  
"Nami Muro's the closest city. It would be easy to assume they've been taken there." Hikori said as calmly as ever.BR  
Azure nodded. "Yes...Yes that would be wouldn't it....I'm going to Nami Muro, anyone with me?" She picked Nemo up into her arms and slung him around so he was riding piggy-back. "Hikori? Lirpa? Pacal?" She looked around. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Habbek had no intention on an escape attempt as Vlah'do had implied earlier. Instead he used the knife to cut open his right pant leg to examine his leg. It was as he feared, his leg was indeed broken, he could see through the torn skin of the compound fracture that it was more than just a dislocation or cut. Through the flowing dark burgeundy blood, he could see the bone had been broken. Vlah'do and Hoth looked on as Habbek wrapped the torn cloth around his knee in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. BR  
"You know, this could work to our advantage." Vlah'do said.BR  
"What's that?" Habbek asked.BR  
"You're knee. He broke it in a vicious act of police brutality. This would go over really well in court."BR  
"No," Habbek said. "Dont hype this up with your lawyer nonesense. This is the least that could have happened to me after killing five people. I deserve this pain." BR  
Vlah'do was silent. This was one of the rare people left in the universe.BR  
The atmosphere in the back of the jeep changed to solemn silence. Hoth extended his legs to get the blood circulating again. He rubbed his head where a large bruise was forming on his cheek. BR  
"And there's another example. They set a bomb on the door. And now look at Hoth. He is also victim of police brutality. Didn't I see someone kick you down on the ground?"BR  
"Yeah. Someone hit me when I tried to get up."BR  
"They can hardly say you were treated humanitarily, and you didn't threaten them in any way, so there was no need for them to do what they did."BR  
"No! You don't understand." Habbek said. "I'm sorry about what happened to you two, but I deserve this. And I dont know about you two, but I'm going to suffer the consequences."BRBR  
  
The armored jeep rolled up to a the prison were the passengers with an unfriendly welcome. Habbek could not stand on his leg and so a stretcher was brought. The three akrennians were put in a prison cell together without much ado. BR  
After a few minutes of waiting, an officer came around and banged on the bars with a night stick. "Okay you three bums, background check. Which one of you is... Vlah'do?"BR  
Vlah'do stood, his glare penetrating. "That's me. Just hope I never get your name."BR  
"The officer opened the door and rolled his eyes as he put the cuffs on Vlah'do to lead him to the office. "Oh yeah?" He said noncahlantly and took him to the office. There he was stripped of all his belongings and they ran a background check. BR  
A tired looking man sat at a desk while the officer held him. "Name? Clan?" The man said wearily.BR  
"Vlah'do of Kodah."BR  
"Age in standard?"BR  
"26."BR  
The inquiries continued until the man checked through his wallet. He pushed the wallet to Vlah'do. "Please desribe to me their contents." He said systematically.BR  
"Let's see." The officer who held him sorted through the wallet's contents and held them up to him because his hands were cuffed behind his back. "That's my government ID," the two men looked at each other nervously. "That's my money. Standarn credits, I think I have 29. That's my citizenship card. That's my diplomatic immunity identification." BR  
"What?" The man grabbed the card, suddenly alert. "Let me see that." He read it through, hoping that it would somehow be counterfiet. The two policemen exchanged a terrified glance.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure had left the house to go down to the police station, leaving Iris, Hikori and Lirpa in Habbek's house. They decided to stay and clean up a little and maybe await a phone call. This call came and Hikori pounced on the phone. BR  
"Hello?"BR  
"Hikori? It's Hoth."BR  
"Hoth, thank the Gods. What happened?"BR  
"I dont know. They wont tell me anything. I think I'm a suspect or something. But I know that the NMPD is in deep trouble."BR  
"Why's that?" Hikori pressed the intercom button on the phone so that the others could hear the conversation.BR  
"Remember our friend Vlah'do? He's a diplomat."BR  
"A diplomat? Now they're in for it."BR  
"You said it. Last time I left, Vlah'do was chewing the chief of police out. I think he's got something planned."BR  
"How are they treating you?"BR  
"Like an animal. That's to be expected for a suspected murderer. I've been moved into a cell with a pretty large and violent human guy."BR  
"Not that it's a bad thing, but why did you use your phone call to call us?"BR  
"Because I have no one else to call and I think Vlah'do has everything under control anyway."BR  
"Ah."BR  
"They seperated me, Vlah'do and Habbek. I dont know where they are now. I hope they're all right. Ah," Hoth whispered. "The guard is telling me to get off now so I have to go. Just come down to the station and see if you can get this cleared up okay?"BR  
"We'll be there as soon as possible."BR  
"All right."BR  
"Take care of yourself Hoth."  
"No need to worry. I'll be fine."BR  
"Bye." Hikori hung up the phone. "What are we waiting for?" He said to Lirpa and Iris.BR  
"The blood stains to come out of the carpet." Iris knew they were Habbek's and was visibley sad.BR  
"You're worried about our friend Habbek?" BR  
Lirpa tugged his arm and hugged him close. BR  
"Don't worry you two, I'm sure that if justice is properly served, everything will turn out right."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure stormed up the stairs of the police station, Nemo in her arms, prepared to deliver a tongue lashing and, if worst came to worst, a good smack on the head to anyone who got in her way. Nemo was snoozing soundly with his head resting on her shoulder when she stalked up to the front desk and delivered a death glare to the innocent secretary planted there. BRBR  
  
"I want to see someone." Azure growled dangerously, Nemo stirred and blinked in a disoriented fashion.  
The secretary was occupied with her typing and seemed not to notice Azure's presence.BR  
"I. Want. To. See. Someone." Azure said again, banging a fist on the desk rather roughly.BR  
The secretary looked startled and a little disturbed, she looked up and blinked her large eyes, a Grapoan Azure recalled the species' name. BR"Um...Yes...Ur....Who?"BRBR  
  
"Hoth, Yar clan." Azure's glare eased a small amount now that she had the distracted Grapoan's undivided attention.BR  
"I'm sorry....But-"BR  
Azure raised an eyeridge and her glare returned to 'I'll-burn-holes-in-your-head' status. BR  
The secretary let her hand stray towards a button under her desk. "I'm sorry. You can't."BRBR  
  
Nemo shifted and mumbled something, reminding Azure of his presence and restraining her from continueing to non-verbally threaten the Grapoan. Instead she grumbled something and turned to find a seat. She didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Lirpa fretted quietly, ears twisting as she wished she was able to express her distress in words and not just sounds and gestures. Hikori nodded at her, agreeing silently. BR  
Iris was oblivious to the both of them, the smell of blood was getting to her and she felt like gagging. She stepped outside for a moment to give herself a break. BR  
Hikori flicked his ears but said nothing for a while. "Perhaps we should go down there..." He murmered in suggestion. "We may be able to help in some way..."BR  
"Or we may just get in the way, lad." Iris responded. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Two security guards came and loitered in the waiting room, alerted by the silent alarm. They talked quietly to each oter before approaching Azure. "Ma'am," One said. "Is there a problem?" BR  
"Yes there's a problem! The police came to a friends house while we were just sitting there eating and arrested my good friend and my mate in a very violent fashion!" At this point she was holding Nemo's hand while standing and staring down the security guard. "And I want to know why!"BR  
The guard backed down, but showed no emotion behind his man-with-no-eyes sunglasses. "Just calm down ma'am, I'm sure we can arrange something."BR  
"I dont want something! I want to see him!" She came close to becoming physical, and the guard saw this.BR  
"If you'll just wait here, I'll go and see what I can do. Who is the person you want to see?"BR  
"Hoth, of Yar."BR  
"I'll be back as quick as possible." He and the other guard headed off, leaving the secretary extremely nervous in the empty waiting room with Azure. BR  
"Geez," said the guard. "Did you see the vein on her forehead? She's gonna blow her stack!"BR  
"Yeah, but she'll be fine once we tell her about Hoth."BR  
"Isn't that the 6 counter murder suspect? Why? What happened to him?"BR  
"He has friends in high places. The other guy they arrested was a diplomat."BR  
"No way!" He shook his head. "We're in deep trouble." BR  
"No kidding."BRBR  
  
The Grapoan nervously tried to get her work done as Azure occasionally casted her dirty glances. BREventually, an officer came into the empty room and greeted her. "Mrs.Azure?"BR  
"Yes?" BR  
"Hi, I'm officer Teshi. I'm here to talk to you about your mate Hoth."BR  
Azure was releaved that the police hadn't just blown her off, but was still in a bad mood. "What is going on? Why did you arrest him?"BR  
"There has been a terrible mistake, and because of that, we are willing to make an unprecedented deal due to these circumstances."BR  
"What's that?"BR  
"Firstly, understand that the charges against your mate are extremely severe and would normally be given a mandatory sentence even to a suspect. However, in this case we have agreed to grant your mate parol on two conditions. He must remain on parol until the court case and testify. It will also cost a large amount of money."BR  
"I dont care, just do it!"BR  
"Fine. I'm glad to have been of service. Let me get you the parol officer and we'll discuss price and time and all that. Okay? Wait here." He left before she could do anything. BR  
I wonder why they're treating my so nicely? Maybe they really messed up! This ought to be fun. BR  
The secretary saw Azure's evil grin and shuddered. Nemo whimpered.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hikori had finished practically scraping the carpet from the floor, he sat back on his knees and stretched his back. Lirpa and Iris each did something similar in turn. BR  
"I still believe we should go. And I am. If anything Azure and Nemo could surely use the company." Hikori said in his even tone. Lirpa nodded.BR  
Iris flexed her fingers and worked the cramps out of them, she simply stood up and nodded. "Aye, s'pose yer right, lad." BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure picked Nemo up again and gave him a small reassuring hug. "Don't worry, kiddo." She whispered into his ear before setting him back on the floor and taking his hand again. She replayed the earlier incident in her head, ready to use any and all of what she remembered against the police force. Hopefully she would be able to help Vlah'do and Habbek too. She just wondered how they'd even been able to trace it back to them..BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
The guard came over to Hoth's cell and banged on the bars to get his attention. His keys jangled as he got them out and stuck them in the door. "You're an very lucky person Hoth, you've got friends looking out for you in a high places..." The door opened and the guard led him out of the cell without cuffs. BR  
He was taken to the waiting room where the parol officer had been talking to her. "So, if you'll just give us any forms of identification you have we'll find your credit account and..."BR  
"Hoth!" Azure disregarded the officer and ran to Hoth, practically jumping on him. BR  
"Mmmuph!" Hoth grunted, ears twitching. "Watch the ribs, Az.." He muttered, hissing slightly although he was as glad to see her as she was to see him. BR  
"Oh, be quiet!" Azure hugged her mate and turned to the officer. "Alright, hold on..." She sifted through her pocket and produced a card which identified her as a cargo trader. "Here."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hikori flicked an ear and glanced at the street signs, their progress towards the city hadn't been fast since Iris had to be guided around dips and rises in the land. Hikori decided that the street signs were of no use since he both didn't know the city and didn't have a map. They would have to guess their way to the police station, or whatever might serve as one. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Habbek's house was still a mess. There was burn marks on the floor by the door which was splitered in pieces all over the room, the carpet was scored in several places and there was dark red blotch in the carpet that later streaked to the entrance. Pacal sat in a comfortable arm chair and Karn on the couch. The air in the room had grown tensious as they both sat there, silently. They had decided to stay behind and wait at the house in case someone came or tried to call.   
Karn felt the need to break the silence. "So, you've been Habbek's friend for sometime eh? Has he ever been in a situation like this before?"BRBR  
  
Pacal turned to him with concern on his face. "No. He's never had any trouble with the authorities." They've never caught him before. Pacal knew of Habbek's troubled past. Suffice to say, these weren't the first people he had killed, just the first people he had killed in a long time. BR  
Karn thought for a minute of how to phrase his next question. "What do you think will happen?"BR  
"I am confidant in this planet's judiciary system."BR  
Pacal said firmly "Justice will be served and Habbek will go free."BR  
"I dont mean to be a pessimist, but what makes you so sure?"BR  
"I don't know. I just can't imagine Habbek going to prison. I'm sure that when he gets his case the jury will be sympathetic."BR  
"Why? Has Nami Muro had a piracy problem before?"BR  
"Yes, We've had a very large problem. Nami Muro is a large industrial city with a lot of infrastructure. Pirate's take advantage of this fledgling planet's weak police force and the people are tired of it."BR  
"Sounds like Habbek's going to have an easy case."BR  
"Not so. Seven counts is incredibly serious."BR  
Karn smiled sarcastically. "Now who's the pessimist?"BR  
Both resigned into their thoughts and remained quiet for some time. BR  
Karn broke the silence. "Don't worry for your friend Pacal."BR  
"Oh, but I do."BR  
"I'm sure that everything will work out fine."BR  
"I hope you're right friend, its just that I wish there was something I could do for him."BR  
A figure stood in the doorway. "Oh, but there is!"BR  
Pacal and Karn turned to look. "Vlah'do!" Karn said and ran to him, hugging him tightly. BR  
"Gah," Vlah'do gasped as the Igonnian squeezed the breath from him.BRBR  
  
Pacal noticed that he had changed his clothes. "Where have you been young man?" BR  
Vlah'do unwrikled his ukata and straightened up, beaming. "I was just at the department of commerce in Nami Muro. They melted like butter on the sidewalk on a hot day! They released Hoth on parol, gave me and all of you a nice hotel room and many other privaledges, such as diplomatic immunity and witness protection!" BR  
Pacal shook his hand warmly. "And what about Habbek?"BR  
"Well, last thing I remember, he was in the jail with a broken knee. I demanded that he recived medical attention immediately and he did. Hoth was supposed to have been let out on parol and that's as much as I know. I haven't had a chance to talk to either of them yet, but that's as much as I know. Now," Vlah'do had in his hand a manila folder. He extracted two papers. BR"Comes the time in which we repay our good friend Habbek." He handed the papers to Karn and Pacal. They were subpeonas. "I must say I am very impressed with the judiciary system here. They responded faster that I thought they would," Vlah'do smiled. "Or maybe it's just that I twisted their arms a little..."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Iris' ears flattened at the loud sounds of the city, although she was a bit used to it since she lived in New New Orleans most of the time she was still shocked when hover-cars passed close by her. She sneezed in the dust bloud that trailed after the mobile vehicle.  
Hikori had finally gotten directions to the courthouse and they'd reached the steps.BR  
"Hikori! Lirpa! Iris!" Azure grinned at them. "Hoth got parole! I don't know about Vlah'do or Habbek, I think I've gone and stretched their patience too far..."BR  
"Yeah, that officer looked a little red in the face." Hoth added, greeting Hikori and Lirpa with a nod and Iris with a pat on the shoulder. "And Vlah'do's fine, he has diplomatic immunity."BR  
Azure blinked and crossed her arms. "Didn't know, that'd leave Habbek then."BR  
Hoth nodded. "Yeah, and I've got nothing against contributing our credits to getting him outta there. He saved your life and Vlah'do's, about the least we can do for 'im."BR  
The other three Akrennians nodded their agreement. BRBR  
The officer overheard their conversation and left the room to go discuss the option with his boss. He returned to see them still talking amongs each other amiabley. The officer cleared his throat. Azure, who had been somewhat distracted, turned to him. "Ah, officer." She said, her mood significantly brightening. "You're just the man I want to speak to. You see, we have a friend that's here, by the name of Habbek. We would like to see this man."BR  
The officer's face was set in a grim mask of authority. "No can do." He said bluntly. "Firstly you're friend is in the hospital."BR  
"The hospital?" Asked Iris. "What for?"BR  
"He had a broken knee?"BR  
"What?" Azure's mood suddenly turned dark again. BR"Your thugs broke his leg!" She stared him in the eyes and stepped up to him.BR  
The guard stared her down. "Listen lady, you've put us through a lot today and we aren't going to be pressed anymore. Your freind can't help a mass murderer. He stays in the hospital until the court case."BR  
Azure grabbed his collar and moved her muzzle close to his face with a menacing snarl. "You can't keep an innocent and injured man in jail." BR  
The officer retained his dignity and stared right back at her. "You're just lucky that we have a fast judiciary system or he'd be rotting in that jail for years. The case is tommorrow." BR  
Azure was surprised to say the least. "Tommorrow?" She released him. "Then you'd best provide him with the best lawyer money can buy!"BR  
"That's already taken care of. You're very lucky to be in this system, it's the most efficient on New Earth, and maybe in the galaxy."BR  
Azure was substantially calmed. "I can imagine why."BR Since New Earth was formed, the humans had refined some of the problems with their government. Most places didn't even have definate borders between countries. Most countries were large industrial cities under a socialist government. Earth and humanity had changed more in the past 15 years than ever before.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do took the three from Habbek's house, after making sure it was secure and took Pacal and Karn to the hotel the government had provided him with. It was extremely lavious, with gold mantles and long wooden staircases and porcelien vases on wooden tables in the hallways. Vlah'do led the two to their rooms. "But I have a house you know." Pacal said. BR  
"Oh, I know." Replied Vlah'do. "But I just thought that you might like to milk the government for all it's worth. That and you might like to stay here for the court case; its tommorrow. I'm very pleased about that." He led them to their rooms. "I also reserved a room for Azure, Hoth and Nemo, Iris, and Hikori and Lirpa." BR  
"Wow," Karn said. "You thought of everything." He walked into his room and looked around. "A king sized bathtub! Wow! Thanks!" He checked the closet. It was filled with his favorite kind of suit and shirts. The fridge had his favorite food and drink inside. BR  
"Feel free to call room service whenever you want." Vlah'do said. "Now, you two get dressed repectabley because we're going to have a visitor soon." He walked into his room and left the two to wonder about what he meant.BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Iris' ears flattened and she frowned, flinching. "Uph.." Her ears twitched with her movement but stayed flat.BR  
"Well can we at least have the name of the hospital?" Azure asked, cocking her head and crossing her arms.BR  
The officer glared at the concrete. "I'll have to ask my boss."BR  
"You do that." Hoth said firmly, nodding his head in the direction of the door. "We'll wait here, go on."   
The officer made an exasperated noise by blowing air out his nose, rolled his eyes, and walked back into the courthouse.BR  
The group waited patiently, observing the movement on the street until Lirpa made a soft trilling sound in her throat.BR  
The officer coughed and, although reluctant, released the name. Azure figured it'd be pushing it too far to ask for directions so simply inclined her head slightly as a show of respect and led the group off the stairs and out into the city.BRBR  
  
Iris' ears fell out to the sides, giving her an almost comical appearance. "Is 'e really hurt that bad?"BR  
"Well he couldn't walk, I know that, I didn't get a very good look at 'im." Hoth replied.BR  
Iris' ears fell flat again and she closed her eyes. "Ah..."BR  
Azure flicked her ears and cocked her head at Iris. "You really like this fella don't you?"BR  
Iris flicked her right ear, which was closest to Azure. "Aye. He saved ye didn't 'e? Aye, an' then he was nice enough t'invite us to his house for dinner. He's got a good soul." She said quietly enough that only Azure heard her, if she had been able to see she would have avoided Azure's glance. BR  
Azure watched Iris' expression for a moment before consentrating on the sidewalk again. What she'd seen was a mixture of confusion, concern, and a glimmer of hope. Azure immediatly realised Iris had expanded her clan once again.BRBR  
  
They paused on a street corner as Hoth asked directions before they moved off again. Azure allowed herself to think about Iris for a moment. Since Iris had never had a clan she included all her friends and 'family' in hers, not that she ever said it out loud, but she saw the crew of the ArchAngel as HER kids, her family. Azure, Lirpa, and Hoth were each nearly raised by her, she'd comforted them, advised them, and loved them like she would have a family member. And when they met new crewmembers along the way she expanded again. Azure knew Iris hadn't had the best past, and the lack of parents made Iris humble and mild, but she was normally much more perky than she was at the moment. BRBR  
  
There was a short silence before Iris spoke again, flicking her ears again. "Ye know, I've never had a real compliment before..."BR  
Azure blinked and cocked her head, confused as to why this had come up.BR  
Iris continued quickly, one ear perking nearly all the way up. "'E gave me a compliment, an' I believe he meant it. I plan to thank 'im if 'tis the last thing that I do." She said firmly, lowering her head nearly to her chest before lifting it again.BR  
Azure cocked her head further, now confused since Iris seemed so set on it. "Well hopefully it WON'T be the last thing you do..." She said slowly.BR  
Iris smiled faintly. "Aye, same thoughts here, lass."BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Pacal and Karn had both eaten, cahnged and taken care of thier personal hygene in preparation for the visitor that Vlah'do had told them both about. Neither had any idea who it could be, but prepared themselves for anyone; this guy was full of surprises. BR  
Karn was in his room, struggling with a toothbrush when he heard an the phone ring. He jumped because he wasn't used to the sound, but remember what it was and searched the house for the source of the ringing. He picked up the reciever. "Hello?" There was a slight muffled buzzing sound. "Hello?" Then he realised that he was holding the phone up side down. He inverted it and said again. "Hello?"BR  
Vlah'do was on the other end. "We're ready. It's pretty important that you and I talk with this guy, so come over. I'm in room P12." BR  
"Got it. I'm coming." He put on a nice coat and left, locking his room. He walked down the red carpeted hallway to find Vlah'do's room and open the door, turning the golden handle. BR  
Inside, he saw Pacal, Vlah'do and their guest seated at a table in the middle of the room. Vlah'do looked at the man happily and Pacal was thoroughly as their mantrin guest ate a large slice or cantaloupe. "You know," He said, juice dribbling on his dirty shirt. "This is just like I thought it would be." He was all smiles. BR  
Vlah'do looked up and stood. "Karn, this is Fahkrir. Do you recognize him?"BR  
"I think so..." Karn said, his face showing concern. "Isn't he one of the..." BR  
"Yeah. One of the pirates."BR  
Frahkrir looked up, nodded amiabley and continued eating his cantaloupe. BR  
"Why is he...?"BR  
Frahkrir swallowed a mouthful and spoke up. "After we got loose from that trap, we broke up." He bit a generous mouthful, chewed noisly and continued his narration. "Some of us headed to Nami Muro. I went to the police because I wanted to get that scum bag Bild. But he got away with his stupid Dark Nebula, but mr.Vlah'do here recognized my name and made me a deal!" He smiled and chomped into the melon. Karn looked at a plate on the floor that held various other melon rinds. "And that fool said honey dew was better..."BR  
"Yes, I found our friend Frahkrir here and made him a deal." Vlah'do said. "I said that if he testified in court, he would get full pardon and witness protection."BR  
Pacal spoke up. "What good is Krahkrir's testimony in court?"BR  
"In court there is always a battle of credibility. Both sides compete to show that they are more honest or reliable than the defendant or plaintiff. Frahkrir will help establish that Bild's crew was nothing more than a motley gang of pirates bent on setting us all in chains."BR  
"Clever! I would never have expected someone of your age to be at that calibre of thinking."BR  
Vlah'do was embarrassed. "Why thank you..."BR  
Frahkrir wipped his mouth and reached for another melon. "Yeah, that Bild was always a rotten one, ordering us around like dirt! I'm better than dirt! Well, not that nutra-soil, that stuff's loaded with nutrients, I can't compete with that." Everyone laughed as Frahkrir dug in. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Hoth glanced around and grumbled something under his breath. "From what that guy said this should be it...I don't see a sign anywhere...AGH! Idiot!"BR  
Azure cleared her throat and pointed up. "Hoth, gotta look higher than your shoulders."BR  
Hoth's ear tips darkened in embaressment. Azure paid no attention and pushed him up the stairs in front of her. The rest of the group followed in a loose band. BR  
The X-rays had been taken, the cast set and crutches issued. Habbek refused to stay in his room however and so hobbled around the waiting room, rather annoyed and frustrated. BR  
Azure, Hoth, Lirpa, Hikori and Iris had all entered the hospital and loitered in the waiting room. They looked around in search of Habbek but couldn't fund him. Azure was about to approch the front desk when she heard him.  
"You fool! I dont want your money! Take it! I said take it!" Azure rounded the corner to see Habbek struggling with his crutches and throwing quarters at a charitous bypasser.BR  
"Habbek!" Azure said.BR  
He looked over at her and smiled, erasing all the anger that had prevoiously occupied his face. "Azure!" He stood, once again struggling with his crutches, knocking them together noisly as he moved over to them akwardly. BRBR  
  
She glanced at the bypasser, who looked more than a little embaressed. "They treatin' ya alright?" She asked, looking back at Habbek.BR  
"Well as can be expected." Was the snorted answer.BR  
Hikori flicked his ears back before bringing them level with his eyes and nodded at Habbek, Lirpa immitating the gesture. Iris lowered her head nearly to her chest and twitched her ears, allowing them to flop out to the sides again.BR  
Hoth snorted lightly and looked around at the other patrons, a woman held a heavy icepack to a child's head, a man coughed violently. "Good thing you got in quick as ya did, looks like you'd be waiting a long time if you didn't."BR  
Habbek stood up and shook hands amiabley with all the his visitors. "I'm very glad to see you all." There was a slight hesitation and prolongation when Habbek shook Iris' hand. He swallowed and continued talking. "So, what do we do now?"BR  
"Habbek of Vades'Slos. Habbek of Vades'Slos, please pick up a white paging phone. I repeat..." Habbek's ears purked up as this announcement came over the hospital intercomm. BR  
"I guess that's me." He hobbled over to the front desk where the secretary absent-mindedly handed him a phone.BR "Hello?"BR  
"Habbek? Is that you?"BR  
"Yeah, who's this?"BR  
"Oh, just someone who's endebted their life to you!"BR  
"Hoth?"BR  
"No, Vlah'do! Listen, we've got a room for you, Azure, Hoth, Lirpa, everyone over at Hotel Les Clochettes."BR  
"Okay, I'll tell them."BR  
"They're there?"BR  
"Yeah, they all came to visit me. Isn't that nice?"BR  
"Indeed. Wow! What a forunate twist of fate. I'm glad that I dont have to scoure all of Nami Muro to find you guys!"BR  
"Okay. I'll come over now."BR  
"Now? Are you ready?"BR  
"I dont see why not."BR  
"I don't have much time left on this blasted phone card. Just come over okay? We'll talk more then."BR  
"All right, bye."BR  
Habbek hobbled back to the others. "Vlah'do's waiting for us at Hotel Les Clochettes. Let's go."BR  
"Go?" Azure said. "Don't you have to get some doctor's permission or something?"BR  
Habbek shrugged. "I guess if I do, it'll have to wait. Seeing my friend is more important to me. Let's go."BR  
The six akrennians moved out of the hospital and back on the streets in another journey on foot. BRBR  
  
Iris' ears swiveled rapidly as she picked up on the sounds of the street and the vocally one sided conversation between Hikori and Lirpa in front of her. Iris knew Lirpa was gesturing with her arms, throwing exagerated movement to convey her mood or whatever she was trying to say, but Iris also could not see Lirpa. So one couldn't talk to the other without the use of Iris' braile pad or another person to 'translate' for her. BR  
Hoth glanced over his shoulder at Habbek and frowned. "Y'know, I'd hail a taxi if I could see any..." He murmered to Azure. BR  
She nodded. "Yeah, I've go the credits, but not a friggin taxi in sight. Figures, eh?" BR  
Hoth nodded in agreement as Azure shifted Nemo, who had by now fallen asleep again, on her shoulder.BRBR  
  
Iris cocked her head and turned an ear in Habbek's direction, locating him. She dropped her pace to match his. "I'd like t'thank ye..." She paused awkwardly for a moment, her ears twisting in an odd manner before continuing. "'Aven't recieved an honest compliment before." She said, nodding to herself and flattening her ears before quickly perking them again. BR  
Habbek was lost for words. A few hours ago, he had felt a familiar foolishness which he was feeling again. He didn't quiet know what to say. Damnit, he thought. This shouldn't be this hard. He swallowed. "Um, you're welcome." Again he mentally punished himself for being so dumb. This wasn't supposed to happen to people his age, this was for punk teenagers. He stared ahead as though he had lost interest in the conversation, but snuck a look at Iris' face which he hoped would go unnoticed. Even though she was blind he could tell she was a clever one and felt as though her unseeing eyes were not only able to see, but all-seeing, making him extra catious. Stop this, He told himself. This is foolishness, act your age. They continued walking to the hotel in silence. Throughout the whole walk, Habbek felt that he should have said something, but couldn't bring himself to, making himself feel even stupider.  
They entered the Hotel and approached the front desk.BR  
"Hello," Hoth said to the attendant. "We are Hoth, Azure, Nemo, Lirpa, Hikori, Iris and Habbek. do you have reservations for us?"BR  
The attendant perked up, looking at them in surprise. "Oh yes sir! You've reservations are already made. You have one room for youself, Azure and Nemo. Another room for Hikori and Lirpa, a room for Mr. Habbek, and a room for Ms. Iris. If you will just follow me." The man ran out from behind the front desk and looked around at the floor. "Do you have any luggage?"BR  
Azure smiled humorously. "No," She said. "We're traveling light."BR  
The man gave her an inquizitive look. "Yes ma'am." He said respectfully, somewhat baffled. "Follow me please." He lead them up a flight of stairs.BR  
Hikori looked around in admiration at the fine tapestry, carpets, gold handles, wooden furniture that adorned the hallway and shandelieres. "I must say, this is a lavish place."BR  
Hoth looked around to. "Yeah, I'll bet with our luck we get a room in the basement." BR  
The attendant heard the comment but decided to ignore it as they neared the their destination. He had been given directions to lead the seven of them to his room as soon as they got there. He turned a corner and tapped on a door. "This it the place."BR  
Vlah'do opened the door slightly, saw who his guests where and threw open the doors. "Welcome friends!" BRBR  
  
The group each greeted Vlah'do in turn, shaking hands.   
Azure, instead of being respectfull and giving him a normal handshake, set Nemo down, grasped Vlah'do in a headlock and gave him a nuggie. Much to the surprse, dismay, and discomfort of Vlah'do. Azure released him about as quickly as she had grabbed him.BR  
  
She smirked at his look. "That is something I picked up on a Drifter Colony, when they were still up there."  
"Unfortunatly for the rest of the crew..." Hoth murmered to the side.BR  
Azure turned and cocked her head, smirking. "No, your coffee is unfortunate."BR  
"Pepsi, Azure, PEPSI." Hoth countered.BR  
"Oh yeah?"BR  
"Yes." Hoth bristled slightly.BR  
"Well in that case..." Azure got a very scary and maniacal look on her face, dove, and tackled Hoth.  
Hoth grunted, rolled, and flipped so she was on her back. Azure rolled so he was pinned on his back, her shoulder in his stomach. BR  
Hoth growled and shoved her against the wall, pinning her once again on her back, using his lower arm to lean on her chest and hold her down. BR  
Azure grinned and reached for his exposed mid-section, if she'd been out to hurt him she could have knocked the air out of him in one blow. But she did something worse, much worse.BR  
She tickled him. Hoth was unable to keep his pressure and collapsed limply, invollunterally giggling. BR  
"Enough....I've had...Enough..." Hoth gasped out between laughs.BR  
"Say 'I give'. Saaaayyyy iiiiittt...." Azure grinned, not stopping her task.BR  
"I...GIVE! IGIVEIGIVEIGIVE!" Hoth cackled out. BR  
Azure grinned, stopped attacking his ribs, leaned back and smacked her hands together. "There, now that that's taken care of..." She looked up at the four confused faces and the five that held expressions of 'You-get-used-to-it.'BR  
Hoth muttered something under his breath, punctuated by short fits of snickers. Azure smirked and leaned over, licking his cheek lightly before she stood up, to Hoth's surprise but certainly not his dismay.BRBR  
  
Vlah'do's expression was that of surprise as he gingerly rubbed his head. He looked at the two inquizzitively before continuing with his instructions.BR "Uh, I got you a room." He handed the two electronic keys. "You, Hoth and Nemo have got room P4. You two have P5," He handed another set of keys to Hikori and Lirpa. "You have P6," He said to Iris. "And you have P7." The final set was given to Habbek. "I want you all to rest up tonight because tommorrow is the court case. They had the first hearing today to get all the formalities out of the way so that tommorrow we can get down to business."BR  
All aknowledged and took thier keys. Hoth looked at the time on a extravagent grandfather clock down the hall. "Rest up? It's not even 6 o'clock!" BR  
"Hey, what do you want to do until then?" Azure said.   
The eight akrennians stood in the hallway as they thought of something to do. The silence was broken by Vlah'do. "Well, I dont know. This is a big city, there should be a lot of stuff to do. Just make sure to get back at a decent hour." He recieved strange glances all around. "Yeah, I feel a little strange saying things like that. It's just that you two are..." BR  
Hoth and Azure exchanged glances. "Yes?" Said Hoth.BR  
"Well, let me put it this way; I really respect you two because you show that you have to get older but you never have to grow up." BR  
Azure smirked broadly. "Thank ya!" She cackled. "We might act a little childish, but it keeps us on our toes. Isn't that right Hoth?"BR  
Hoth simply pointed at Azure and said, "She's the one who started it."BR  
"Am not." Azure pushed him forward and snickered.  
Nemo blinked dumbly and cocked his ears, hugging Azure's leg. BR  
Iris hid a smile with a hand and chuckled. Hikori had an expressionless face on, Lirpa smirked faintly. BRBR  
  
Vlah'do laughed openly while Pacal and Karn just stared akwardly. "Well, you still have my respect." Vlah'do said to the grapling pair. "But I personally don't want to spend the rest of the evening staring at the wall of my room. This city is full of things to do, any ideas?"BR   
"Cosmic bowling!" Karn almost yelled, attracting the attention of a bypassing man in a suit. BR  
"Cosmic bowling? What's that?" Pacal asked.BR  
"Maybe we should get out of this hallway," Hoth said to Azure. "I think we're blocking the flow of traffic." BR  
"Right." Azure said. They walked down the extravagent hallways in the incandescent light to the front of the hotel where many chairs and tables were set up for people to talk and order coffee at a nearby cafe. BR  
"Shall we sit?" Vlah'do said in mock formallity. BRBR  
  
Azure smirked and curtsied awkwardly. "Why thank you, young sir. I believe I shall." She said jokingly, taking a seat at a nearby table. Hoth slid into the chair beside her with Nemo in his arms and they were followed by Iris. Lirpa and Hikori took seats on the other side of the table.BR  
"As you wish milady!" Vlah'do moved three tables together so that they could all sit together. The eight of them together made quiet a conspicuous sight; six akrennians, one igonian and a mantrennian, all sitting together at the tables like a family reunion. BR  
A waiter nervously approached them. "Excuse me?" He diverted all their attention to him. "Can I help you folks?" He asked in typical restaraunt manners.BR  
Hoth looked up. "Coffee!"BR  
Azure bapped him on the nose. "Coffee? It's the middle of the evening!" BR  
The squable that ensued was ingnored by most, now used to it, as Vlah'do adressed the waiter. "Yes, could we get some menus?" BR  
"Certainly." The man whisked off.BR  
Karn watched the man leave with interest. "I've never tasted Earth's food before. Is it good?"BR  
Pacal laughed. "That's kind of a broad category. Some of it is good, yes. The only thing is that all of the meat they serve is always dead and cooked. There's a certain style to the food I can't quiet put my finger on."BR  
"Small!" Habbek was seated at the end with his leg propped up by another chair on the other side of the table. "Everything they serve is really small! You have to go back two or three times!"BR  
Pacal laughed. "In your opinion maybe."BR  
With two different conversations flying back and forth, often with insults, Karn stopped staring in fascination at the grapling Azure and Hoth to talk to Vlah'do. "Hey, how do you know so much about Earth? I mean, you just landed here and, even though you had a hard time swimming, delt with the natives and government and got us where we are now! How?"BR  
"Well, I guess its all because of my dad. He was always into human culture and stuff. He always said that we had much to learn from them."BR  
"Your dad is a smart man, but I think that he took these people a little too seriously."BR  
"No, not at all. In fact, he hasn't seen a human in a long time. He used to interact with them all the time, but now he lives on P'Lochda and doesn't get out very much."BR  
"So you learned human culture from your dad?"BR  
"No, I was interested in it too. I had a couple experiences with humans back when I was a kid. Keep in mind that back then, humans were still a marginal society and there weren't many left. When I found out how cool the humans really were I decided to take this job as a diplomat instead of joining the military like the rest of my family did. I wanted to see other races and cultures and stuff."BR  
Unbeknowst to the group, a man was sitting in a chair across from them eavesdropping in on the conversation. He was wearing a long brown trechcoat and a business suit. He decided that he was not hearing what he wanted to and so came over to talk to them. He greeted the eight. "Hello everyone. My this is a big group. Is this seat taken?" He walked over to the chair that Habbek was propping his foot up on and slid it away from the table. His foot dropped to the ground and wacked against a table leg.BR  
Habbek howled in pain. The man stared at him in shock. "Err, I'm sorry." He already knew that his leg was broken.BR  
Habbek mumbled something under his breath and stared at the ground. BR  
Vlah'do eyed him, not comptetuously, but inquizzitavely. What would a stranger want with a group of assorted aliens? "Yes?" He asked as politely as he could. BR  
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gren Hacob. I work at a legal clinic. I'm just curios, what are a bunch of tourists like yourselves doing in this city? I mean, there are much better places to visit."BR  
"Oh, we're not tourists." Azure said, after finishing with Hoth. BR  
Vlah'do silenced her with a look. "You're from a legal clinic eh?"BR  
"Yes sir. I'm not really busy right now, clients have been disappearing."BR  
"What luck! We could use a lawyer!" Karn blurted.BR  
Vlah'do nudged his ribs from under the table to silence him.BR  
"Excuse me?" Gren asked.BR  
"We already have a lawyer, thanks anyway."BR  
Pacal tapped Habbek on the shoulder. "This guy seems to be prying a little. What do you suppose is going on?" He whispered.BR  
Habbek stared at the man. "I dont know. I think Vlah'do knows what he's doing though."BRBR  
  
Iris came up from a cringe, though she held her ears back. She cocked her head at Gren but said nothing. BR  
"A case eh?" Said Grenn. "Sounds interesting. What happened?"BR  
"Under legal advise from my atourney I'm not at liberty to talk about it." Vlah'do replied flatly.BR  
"Oh, I understand. Do you want something to drink?"BR  
"No, I'm..."BR  
"Waiter, a bottle of wine please!" He snapped at a passing waiter.BR  
Vlah'do grunted. "I don't drink. And we're already about to order, thank you."BR  
Grenn ignored him. "Bordeux please." He said to the waiter as he shuffled off. BR  
"Really, that's okay."BR  
"No, I insist." BR  
Geez, Vlah'do thought. This guy is starting to bug me, what does he want? "Well, thanks but..."BR  
"So tell me, are you in need of legal advise?" BR  
"No, we are perfectly fine. Thank you." Vlah'do said briskly.BR  
Habbek suddenly realized what was going on. This guy must be trying to leach some sort of information out of them for someone else. He must be working for someone higher than him. This infuriated Habbek and he reached across the table and grabbed Grenn by the shirt. "Listen you little leech! I know what you're after. Who do you work for?"BR  
The man responded as anyone would if a 7 foot tall large male akrennian grabbed thier shirt and threatened them violently. "I... its that... I dont know what you're talking about!" BR  
"Don't give me that! Spill it!"BR  
"Better do as the man says." Azure said calmly, her smile vanishing.BR  
Iris flattened her ears. "Aye, yes, it doesn't fit that a perfect stranger would walk up an' offer t'buy a group of akrennians a drink. An explanation is in order, m'lad." She said quietly. BRBR  
  
"Look, I don't know what you're talking about!" Grenn insisted. BR  
"Damnit man! I know you're up to something! If you're a lawyer, what are you doing without any of your stuff? Breifcase, papers?" Habbek reached inside his coat and rummaged around quickly. "See, there's no adress book, no cell phone, nothing! And what's this?" Habbek's wrist got caught on a wire. He twist his hand around it and pulled it out. "A wire? You're wearing a wire?" Attached to the wire was a small recording device and a microphone near at the collar. BR  
Grenn gulped, realizing the gig was up. "Listen, I can explain." BR  
Habbek threw the recorder on the ground, smashing it to pieces. "You'd better!"BR  
"I'm not a lawyer, I'm an intern. Listen, if I tell you this, you've got to promise not to take it to the police."BR  
Vlah'do grabbed Habbek's arm, releasing his grip on Grenn. "We promise that if you tell us we won't go to the police."BR  
Grenn looked nervously around the table. "Fine. My boss told me to come down here and talk with you guys. He wants to win this case because it will help his reputation and in this system a reputation is all you've got! He really needs a case right now."BR  
"Who is your boss?" Vlah'do inquired.BR  
"Your prosecuting attourney, Mr. Takomuro."  
"That's a crime!" Habbek spat. "We could have you and your boss thrown into a federal prison for this!"BR  
Once again Vlah'do stepped in. "Don't worry about it Habbek."BR  
Grenn was sweating. "Listen, I'm real sorry to have done this to you. I didn't want to. Can I leave?"BR  
Habbek slumped back in his chair. "Yeah, get out of here."BR  
He did so all too hastily. Habbek turned to Vlah'do. "You aren't going to just let this go are you?"BR  
"No way! Remember what I said about credibility? This little incident is our secret weapon! We can shatter all their hopes of the jury believing them!"BR  
"Genius!" Karn intejected. "That'll teach them a lesson!"BR  
The three continued to talk and idle around until the waiter arrived to take orders. BR  
"What can I get you?"BRBR  
  
Azure glanced at her menu and picked the first thing she saw. "Um....Cream of, how do I pronounce that....Brock-call-lee soup?" BR  
The waiter blinked at her but went on. "And you?"BR  
Hoth looked at him hpefully. "Do you have hamburgers?"BR  
"I'm afraid we don't."BR  
"Oh...Do you have coffee?"BR  
"This is a coffee house."BR  
Hoth glowed. "I'll have a coffee."BR  
Azure's responce to that was a sigh and a shake of her head.BR  
The others made their orders more quickly. BR  
"I'll have a... chicken club sandwich." Vlah'do said.BR  
Habbek looked up. "Beef Teriyaki."BR  
"Ceasar salad." Pacal ordered.BR  
"Taco salad!" Karn said enthusiastically. BR  
"I'm sorry, we don't have that." The waiter said.BR  
"Oh," Karn said dissappointedly.BR  
"You might want to try this one." Vlah'do said, pointing to the menu. BR  
"Okay then. I'll take the... Alaskin salmon." BR  
"Very good. And for the lady and child?" the waiter scribbled on a pad. BR  
Azure smiled. "He'll have a cheese toasty."BR  
"'Scuse me?"BR  
"Uh....Cheese melt."BR  
"Ohhh. And for you, ma'am?"BR  
Iris looked confused for a moment before she spoke. "D'ye 'ave eggrolls?"BR  
"I'm sorry, no we don't."BR  
I'll have what she's 'avin' then." Iris gestured in Azure's general direction, nodding her head lightly.  
The waiter shrugged and wrote a two after Azure's order, quickly trotting off. BRBR 


	6. After Dinner Activities

Azure and Vlah'do watched as the waiter walked off briskly. "I won't lie to you Azure." Vlah'do said. "This case is not going to be as easy as we've had it up until now. This isn't going to be very simple. Habbek did kill seven people."BR  
"Six." Hoth cut in.BR  
"What?"BR  
"I killed one of 'em." He said flatly.BR  
"We can't let this get out." Vlah'do said.BR  
"No. No, you can't cover this up. I guess that I'm going to let people decide whether or not I should be locked up for protecting myself, my friend, and my mate. No, I'm sure that there is no risk in that because no one could live with themselves after condeming someone for doing that."BR  
"You're right of course. But, with that same logic, isn't it better to keep it hidden? If you're going to go free anyway, then why risk it?"BR  
"Listen Vlah'do, I understand that you're trying to do me a favor, but I can't hide this. I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to try and help Habbek." He cast a quick glance over at Habbek who was pensively pining with a solemn countenance, lost in his thoughts. "I know that it's only a difference of seven and six counts of first depgree murder, but I'll do my part." BR  
"And I'll do mine. Hoth," Vlah'do put his hand on his shoulder. "You're a better man than I, and I respect you for that."BR  
Habbek smiled slightly. Once again people had underestimated his hearing. His akwardly large ears did not miss this conversation. He made a mental note to personally thank Hoth and make sure that he got off to be with his mate, family and crew once again.BRBR  
  
The nine conversed as though it were some sort of odd family reunion until the food arrived, carried between three waiters. "Here is your food." A waiter said as he put a plate with a toasted cheese sandwich, oozing cheese out one side, giving off a trail of steam and tantalizing aroma. "And this is the bottle of Bordeux wine that the gentleman..." He looked around. "Excuse me, where did the gentleman who ordered this wine go?"  
Vlah'do smiled as the other waiter gave him his chicken club sandwich. "He had business to take care of. Give the wine, and send the check to a Mr.Takumaro."BR  
"The attourney general?"BR  
"What? I mean, yes. That's the man. You have his adress right?"BR  
"Yes sir."BR  
"Does he come here ever?"BR  
"Yes he does. And not to be rude, but he usually doesn't converse and buy wine for total strangers."BR  
"Hey, no need to get cocky. Is he rich?"BR  
"No, he has lost a lot of clients ever since the police cracked down on the city."BR  
"Police crack down?"BR  
"Yeah, they really cleaned up their act along with the city. Ever since then lawyers stopped getting cases and thus jobs. Mr.Takumaro is probably the only one left that can make a good living off of being an attourney."BR  
Vlah'do comtemplated this for a while. "Well, that's soon to change. Thanks for the information." He pulled a two dollor coin from his pocket and tossed it to the waiter who caught it nimbly, nodded and walked off, having finished passing around the food. BR  
"Hey," Karn said between bightfuls of his fish which he thoroughly enjoyed. "How come you are rich all of a sudden?"BR  
Vlah'do smiled. "Let's just say that the governemt can be generous with a little... extortion."BR  
"Huh?" Karn dug into his fish. "You know, this stuff is really good! It tastes familiar!" BR  
Thus the dinner continued.BRBR  
  
Iris waited patiently for her soup to cool to her satisfaction. She'd hover a hand a small distance over the bowl every once in a while to see if steam was still rising off it. She began to eat when the others were halfway done, though she wasn't in any hurry. BR  
Azure watched Nemo out of the corner of her eye, making sure he didn't start to simply stuff himself like he normally did. BR  
Habbek forked the last of the beef strips into his mouth. He sighed in satisfation, leaned back in his chair and waited for the others to finish their food. Vlah'do had been done for a while, having chosen a light snack, and had been observing the group. Karn continued eating his food with a pleasant look plastered on his reptilian features. "This stuff is like this one kind of fish we have on Tahu-Dzo! It's this one kind of fish that has..." His voice trailed off as Habbek immersed himself in his thoughts. He cast glances at Iris furtively as she slowly slurped on her soup. He knew that she couldn't see him but did so out of force of habit, or was it some other reason? She looked so sad all the time, but why? BRBR  
  
The food was gone but the atmoshpere lingered until a waiter arrived to get the check. Azure reached into her pocket but Vlah'do stopped her. "This one's on our friends in the Capital building!" He took a desposable federal credit chip out of his pocket and gave it to the waiter. "Room and board." He explained as everyone glanced in amazement at the small blue plastic card.   
Hoth seemed somewhat aggitated to Habbek until he realised that it was probably just the affects of the coffee. He smiled to himself. That Hoth, quite the character. There's something special about him. I mean, look at the mate he chose.BR  
Habbek caught himself glancing around the table again. He had been doing so all through the night. What had he been looking for or looking at? He didn't know. He wondered what Iris would be looking at if she could only see. He could not imagine what it would be like to be blind, and despite the fact that he knew she could hear better than most, giving her leverage over her disability, he still felt sorry for her. BR  
Azure pushed away from the table because she was full and wanted to get up. "That was good. What time is it?"BR  
Vlah'do looked at his watch. "It's about... Seven PM."BR  
"What time is the case tommorrow?" BR  
"It's at ten AM." BR  
"What time does the sunset on this planet?"BR  
"About ten PM. I suggest that we all go to be at thirteen o'clock and wake up at eight."BR  
"What do you want to do until then?"BR  
Hikori and Lirpa were already standing. Iris' ears drooped as she stood. BRBR  
  
Azure stretched and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "Got any movie cinema's around here?" She grinned.BR  
"Yeah, I think..." Pacal started.BR  
"Thank ya!" Azure cut him off as she beamed, hefting Nemo onto her shoulders. "C'mon kiddo!" She nodded her head at the group before shooting out the door, Hoth shrugged and shook his head, following. BRBR  
  
"Lirpa and I shall retire to our room." Hikori said in his monotone. Lirpa nodded. BR  
Iris flicked her ears and cocked her head. "Well y'both 'ave a good long time alone then." She smiled.BR  
Hikori's ear tips turned an interesting shade of red as he straightened his posture and cocked his head, his eyes wide in an odd expression given his calm attitude.BRBR  
  
Iris was completely unaware she may have said something wrong or embaressing, since she couldn't see Hikori's expression (Which would have been described as a 'Kodak Moment'). Her ears perked as she listened to the curious silence. She cocked her head and her ears. BR  
"Well I know fer a fact that ye don' get much time alone, no one on the ship does." She said, sounding as confused as she looked.BR  
"...Yes...." Hikori's nose twitched, his expression returning to normal, though his ear tips still remained darker than the skin within the ears themselves.BR  
Iris nodded to herself, still looking fairly confused.BRBR  
  
"Hey! Be back by ten!" Vlah'do shouted at the retreating figures of Hoth, Azure and Nemo riding his mom's shoulders. "You too." He said to Hikori. He bowed his head in acknolwedgement and headed off with Lirpa, his ears still a distinct shade. Together they retreated in an attempt to regain the dignity they never lost.   
With those five gone, that left Habbek, Vlah'do, Karn, Pacal and Iris by themselves. They remained at the table for a little while, staring around with little to say until Vlah'do broke the silence. "So, what do you want to do until ten?"BR  
"What is there to do?" Karn asked.BR  
"Well, I remember seeing a pool somewhere back there."BR  
"A pool? Indoor or outside?"BR  
"Indoor." BR  
"Wait a minute." Pacal said. "Don't we need our swimming suits or something?"BR  
"Nope, the pool provides them to customers." BR  
Habbek smiled sarcastically at him. "Guess you don't have any more excuses. Unless you are embarrassed to show your thick tubby gut!" BR  
Pacal was as skinny as a stick. He had inherited the akrennian slimmness from his mother. Nonetheless, he played along. "Me? Look at this!" He flexed his stomach muscles. "That's all muscle! You could punch that and you'd hurt your fist!"BR  
"Want to see if you're right?" Habbek flexed his fist playfully.BR  
"You're not Mr. Fitness yourself there old lardlad."BR  
Karn cut into their arguement. "Hey! Don't waste valuable swimming time."BRBR  
  
Iris stood in the middle of the group in the dimming sunset light. Habbek noticed her again. Her ears dropped sadly, or so it appeared to him. He realized that she had been left by the rest of the crew. He felt sorry for her because of this, but what was even sadder was the fact that she was used to it; that this was just a way of life for her. "How about it Iris?" Habbek blurted before he could catch himself. "Want to go swimming with us?"BR  
"Nay, nay." She said. "I couldn't..." BR  
"Oh come on." Vlah'do said chidingly. He saw the connection and acted. "It'll be fun. If you don't want to swim you can sit at the tables on the side and watch us swim."BR  
Iris laughed and to Habbek it sounded absolutely delightful. "Can't do much of that can I? I'll go with ye though, nothing better for me to do." BR  
For Habbek, those two sentences made no sense following each other. He was completely perplexed and interested by this woman, even more so than before. He was resolute, however, to not show this physically or do anything stupid because his brain was clouded with idle daydreams. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
Azure watched the screen intently, Nemo having long since fallen asleep in her lap. Hoth had made a popcorn run and had yet to return. BRBR  
  
***BRBR  
  
By unanimous vote, they headed down to the pool. In big bold letters the words Olympia Pool bore down on them as the small group stared up at it before entering the large building. BR  
The building was mostly empty and as such the desk attendant was engrossed in a magazine. Vlah'do cleared his throat which earned the attendant's gaze. "Five adults please."BR  
"Four." Habbek said. BR  
"What? Oh yes." Vlah'do said, glancing down at Habbek's crutches.BR  
"Three." Iris said shyly. "I've never been one for swimming."BR  
"Okay, three then." BR  
The attendant, a teenage human male wearing a white teeshirt. "All right. Do you need swimming suits?"BR  
"Yeah."BR  
"Size?"BR  
"Akrennian, large." BR  
The attendant reached back and grabbed a suit from the carefully sorted racks and tossed a blue swimming suit to Vlah'do. "Here you go. Enjoy your swim."BR  
Karn stepped up next. "Igonnian please, medium." BR  
"Igo... what?" He looked Karn up and down. "I think I'll have to give you a large mantrin." He threw Karn a bathing suit. BR  
Pacal was next. "I'll take a mantrin medium." BR  
"Mantrin?" The attendant looked over the desk at his feet. "Oh. Okay. You might want to use the changing room down the hall."BR  
Pacal rolled his eyes in an embarrased fashion. "Thanks." He caught the swimming suit and went down the hall. BR  
That left Habbek and Iris alone. Habbek nervously glanced down the hall before returning to the waiting room that they had entered originally. "Excuse me." He said, getting the attention of the attendant. "Where's the sitting area?"BR  
"Hey man, you want a wheel chair or something?"BR  
"No, I'm fine."BR  
"It's throught those doors next to the pool."BR  
"Thanks." He started to walk through the doors when he saw Iris standing in the middle of the room. She seemingly lit the place up with her meer presence. "Iris, are you coming?" BR  
Her head moved towards his direction. "Yes, I'd like to sit for a while."BR  
Habbek struggled to manuever himself back to Iris' side and took her hand. "Come on, I'll lead you there."BR  
She smiled, noting that making any sort of movement was obviously a burden for him. "Thank ye but there's no need. I can hear ye coming from a mile away. I'll just follow."BR  
"Okay." Habbek struggled with the doors and continued on into the pool area, heading for the chairs arranged around the tables.BR  
The pool was really a beautiful place. The pool itself was huge with two diving boards at different heights flanking the edges and towering above the water. Near the sitting area with comfortable chairs and lavish tables there was a large glass window that revealed a breath-taking panorama of the beautiful mountains. The sun set in the distance and cast an orange glow that shone through the window and refelected off the water, spangling the whole building with colorful sprites that danced and shimmered on all the walls and rooves. There was also a small water slide and a ping pong table on the edge of the pool, well out of spashing distance.   
Habbek noted with some satisfaction that there were very few other people here. Who would be swimming at seven thirty on a Tuesday afternoon? The pool would be open until ten. Plenty of time. Habbek helped Iris into a chair and sat himself down, half waiting for and half dreading the moment that the other three would come out of the changing rooms.BRBR 


End file.
